EUROPE – War Of Kings

War Of Kings from Sweden’s multi-platinum Europe has been unleashed. Headed up by vocalist Joey Tempest and guitarist John Norum, Europe takes another step in the band’s musical progression, originally rooted in the Blues back in the late ‘70s, only to shift to become the first all-out European Hair Metal band in the ‘80s.  Reuniting in the 2000’s showed Europe moving back towards their Blues-based roots, and War Of Kings “feels” like a full-fledged Blues revitalization commitment … perhaps too much of a commitment.  War Of Kings is well-thought out and performed, but would benefit from a few pick-me-up tracks.