Perfect Plan's 'Heart of a Lion' - Album Review

As much as I love plenty of classic AOR bands, and the genre as a whole is one of the most joyous out there, it can sometimes be hard to find new acts playing such music which are genuinely worth my time. I have been burnt many times by Frontiers Records' love of cookie-cutter AOR projects, many of which were nothing more than serviceable, but a few have stood out over the years - with many of them coming from Sweden. For a country with a population of just over 10 million people, the number of excellent bands from Sweden, covering many genres, is just staggering. I listen to so many bands from the country - and one of the very best AOR acts of the modern age, H.E.A.T, hail from there. We are not talking about H.E.A.T today, although they are releasing a new album in April so expect a review of that in the coming months, but we are instead discussing the fourth album from another Swedish AOR band - the more traditional-sounding Perfect Plan. I remember being aware of the band when their 2018 debut album All Rise came out, as I remember the reviews being positive, but it was not until 2020's Time for a Miracle (which I reviewed here) came out that I started to listen to them. It would not surprise me at all if I listened to more music during 2020 than I have done during any other calendar. The pandemic and the response to such ensured that many of the things I like to do in my free time were not possible - so, along with video games, listening to music at home took on an even more of an important role. As I was not going to and reviewing concerts, I ended up reviewing a lot more albums during 2020 than I usually would - and Time for a Miracle was one of them. I was even more open to hearing new music in 2020 than usual, as it gave me something to do, and I listened to Time for a Miracle quite a bit - enjoying it even after reviewing it. Perfect Plan's brand of AOR is very traditional. The Swedish five-piece have done nothing to modernise the sound or do something starkly different - but their songwriting and performances help them stand out as one of the better newer AOR bands on Frontiers Records. None of the band members look to be especially young, either, so I imagine that they have all been knocking around in various bands over the years and have used all of that experience to really push Perfect Plan in the right direction. The easiest comparison to make is to Survivor - and this is largely due to frontman Kent Hilli's similarity to the late Jimi Jamison. Hilli also fronts Giant these days, so is very much an in-demand voice, but Perfect Plan seem to be a true band with all five members contributing towards the songwriting and arrangements. Despite enjoying Time for a Miracle, though, I did not pick up 2022's Brace for Impact until recently. I am not sure why I did not get it at the time - but I can only imagine it came out during a busy time for new releases. I have caught up since, though, with the band's whole catalogue - and Heart of a Lion is very much the album I expected from Perfect Plan at this point. There are strong hooks throughout - with soaring choruses the band's bread and butter.

I am not sure that any of the band's other albums quite live up to Time for a Miracle, but they are all very enjoyable - and this one is no different. It gets underway with its anthemic title track, which was the song that made me realise I had not been keeping up with the band after 2020, and it is one of the best cuts here. Opening with some sparkling synths from Leif Ehlin, alongside some spacey guitar leads from Rolf Nordström, the song sets an atmospheric tone early on - but this vibe is short lived, as soon Nordström transitions to a big riff, and the song becomes a mid-paced rocker. The thing I like about Perfect Plan is that there is always a good balance between the guitars and the keyboards. Some AOR acts can drown their songs in synths, but this is not the case with Perfect Plan. There is great keyboard playing throughout this album, but there is also plenty of guitar crunch - and this is showcased by the song's opening riff and smouldering verses which are backed by a tricky little melody. The arrangements are generally strong, then, but all of the songs are written to really showcase the voice of Hilli. He one of the best modern AOR vocalists in my opinion, despite his similarity to Jamison, and he oozes class during the verse - before letting rip during a stadium-ready chorus that is packed with call-and-response vocal harmonies and powerful keyboards. Nordström's later guitar solo is very melodic, too, using more traditional blues-based phrasing rather than letting rip - which helps to retain the song's core melodic and mid-paced feel. The song is a strident anthem that is sure to stick in the brain - and in a just world it would be a big hit. We Are Heroes opens a little more slowly, with a hypnotic synth melody and ringing clean guitar chords creating an atmospheric backing for Hilli's slightly sultry vocal delivery. Less of a hard rock anthem than the previous song, this track instead goes for a much more cinematic approach. Ehlin's keyboards play a huge role throughout, then, his motifs the song's main hooks, whilst the rhythm section stay out of the way during some parts of the song before adding a real rock drive during others. The song never feels like a true ballad, but it is certainly a slower number - with a chorus that sounds like something U2 may have written if they were turning their hand to AOR. The cinematic sound is infectious and the chorus has staying power after a few listens - whilst Nordström later elevates things further with a lengthy and busy solo. All Night returns to more of an overt harder rock sound - albeit this time with much more pomp coming from Ehlin's keyboards. The opening synth hook is right out of the classic 1980s AOR playbook, but there is still plenty of weight from the guitars throughout - with some Bon Jovi-esque riffing during the verses that evolve nicely from the driving opening synths. Unlike some modern AOR acts, though, Perfect Plan just make all of this sound natural - and a later pre-chorus section never feels overly cheesy despite the pulsing synths. It helps that the chorus which follows is massive. The band really have a knack for a chorus hook - and Hilli really delivers here, delivering sumptuous melodies that immediately latch on. The guitar solo could have been a bit longer - but overall the song is another winner.

Turn Up Your Radio turns the spotlight back on the guitars following a couple of more synth-heavy tracks - and the mid-paced rocker is built around a groovy riff which kicks in following a brief tease of the later chorus. The main riff is a bit of a headbanger, but it still sits nicely within the band's smooth core sound - and the verses, which are a little stripped back, retain a strong groove thanks to Fredrik Forsberg's tight drumming. Hilli sounds more like Jamison than ever during the verses, so much so that any future Survivor activity should involve him, whilst the chorus sees him pushing his voice a little more - but the smooth hooks and a more subtle use of vocal harmonies this time add to the song's overall slightly harder rock feel. A later bridge feels a bit riffy, too, and the track overall just feels suitably upbeat despite essentially being another mid-paced rocker. AOR albums always have to include ballads, and My Unsung Hero is the first example of such here. Opening with a dancing keyboard melody, the slow-burning song feels suitably emotional - and it acts as a great showcase, yet again, for Hilli's vocal talents. The rest of Perfect Plan are all great musicians, but it is Hilli that pushes them to the next level in my opinion. His voice is perfect for this sort of music - and the shimmering verses here are brought to life by his bluesy power, before the drums kick in properly and the chorus feels bigger again, with chiming guitar melodies and lots of choral vocal harmonies. There is a power and majesty to the song despite its slow-burning vibe - and it is a welcome inclusion here. Ready to Break gets back to a much more harder rocking sound, though, with a dancing synth melody early on which soon gives way to another big guitar riff which sounds like it could have sat on a early Bon Jovi album. Nordström sometimes has a bluesy feel to his riffing which reminds me a bit of Richie Sambora. Perfect Plan never really sound like Bon Jovi, though, there are just similarities in the riffs - and the slightly paired back verses here have a strong chugging undercurrent which feed off the earlier riff nicely. Pulsing synths herald the approach to the chorus, with a sparkling pre-chorus acting as a bridge, with the eventual chorus being another strong moment filled with hooks. The guitar solo is a winner, too, and it is filled with lots of faster lead runs which sit nicely within this higher energy piece. Too Tough is similarly upbeat, this time with more of a keyboard presence early on - with a pulsing synth hook sitting nicely on top of some crunchy guitars. The vibe continues on through the verses, which mix smoother segments to allow the vocals breathe and punctuation moments which are riffier. I like how the verses are put together, then, as they still rock despite delivering a strong AOR vibe, whilst the chorus rocks things up a little more with a punchier sound overall and a bit more pace. It is perhaps not the strongest chorus, though. It is memorable but compared to some of the others here it falls a little short.

Lady Mysterious is a little heavier overall, with Ehlin opting to use some Hammond organ throughout, and the song channels some early Whitesnake a little - particularly during the intro and parts of the verses. There is a much bluesier feel throughout the song, both in the riffing and in Hilli's delivery, but the band's core AOR sound is still retained. Mats Byström's pulsing bass really keeps the verses ticking, which feel more grounded then usual and a little dirtier, but as the chorus is approached the band's core sound comes to the fore again - with synths replacing the Hammond and plenty of big vocal melodies filling what is another pretty groovy chorus. Perfect Plan have written songs like this before, and it is nice to hear something a bit different from them every so often. They do this heavier, bluesy rock sound well - and the song allows Nordström to cut loose somewhat during his solo spot. One Touch is a much smoother track overall and is packed with lots of classic 1980s AOR tropes. It has that slightly crunchy mid-paced harder rock feel that so many sultry AOR classics have - with rhythm guitars forming the basis of the verses, whilst the presence of the synths slowly grows and hitting its peak just as the chorus explodes. The chorus is another strong earworm, with the appropriate amount of pulsing synths and keyboard melodies - whilst still retaining some crunch thanks to the guitars. The hooks are easy on the ear, too, which makes the song another enjoyable addition. Danger on the Loose opens with a big drum barrage from Forsberg, with the album's penultimate track being another somewhat heavier rocker - although the organ of Lady Mysterious is replaced instead with darker synths, which mesh nicely with the hard-hitting riffing of Nordström throughout. This tougher overall sound mixed with the band's love of a hook is a winning combination, though, and the song is one of the back end of the album's best cuts. The riffy verses are full of power, but it is the chorus where the song really comes alive. It is one of the most stadium-ready moments on the album and it is packed with hooks - with Hilli's strident vocal delivery turning the song into a real winner. It is left to At Your Stone to close things out, with the track being another pretty typical AOR anthem. Opening with a fast-paced riff, the song soon settles into more of a mid-paced groove - with cinematic verses filled with clean guitar melodies and plenty of keyboards. It is not as hard-hitting as the previous song, but the moments of faster riffing do help the track to stand out somewhat - and the mix of more atmospheric moments with clean guitars and the faster, harder chorus acts as a nice contrast. It is another hooky chorus, too, with the album's closer leaving a strong impression thanks to Hilli's big melodies during the chorus - as well as another excellent solo from Nordström. The album ends on a high, then, with one last big chorus to remember. For those who love quality AOR, then, Heart of a Lion is one not to miss. Most of the songs here are really memorable and even the less interesting tracks generally still have something about them to enjoy. The first half of the album in particular is very strong - and Hilli once again showcases throughout why he should be seen as one of the best voices in rock at the moment.

The album was released on 28th February 2025 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Heart of a Lion.