Europe - Europe

The Swedish hair metal band's classic 1983 debut album for Epic. Album Description

Rockin Swedish Metal

This debut album by popular Swedish hair metal band Europe is awesome. Overall, it's about on the level of quality of most of their other albums, but the sound is more raw and punkish aggressive. The 1980s was supposed to be the future. When they were predicting the future, it was pretty similar to the 1980s. However, public school and Sunday school dropped the ball on the futuristic age as they they were stubbonly acting like it was still the 1800s or colonial days. My favorite track is the opener in the future to come. I was listening to this while playing Burnout my Xbox 360 (360 bit- virtual reality machine) and it still held up after all these years. If you still like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden bhut have a sense of humor who will also like Europe. This is NOT the NWOBHM New wave of British heavy metal! They are not remotely British; they're Swedish! Again, the lyrics are all in Swedish, made in Sweden recorded in Sweden but it's still similar to English so like the unviersal language most people now spek they don't speak in their native tiongue any more so it's easier to understand. I'm glad I opened my mind to music after a black metal rush and tencho nerd phase. I listen to a variety now, everything from Deicide to Lionel Richie. January 23, 2007

Classic Debut

Man, I really love the first two Europe albums. OK, I love all of Europe's albums, but Wings of Tomorrow and the 1983 self-titled debut hold a special place in my heart. Like most people, I discovered Europe when the Final Countdown hit the airwaves, but it was the budget-priced cassettes of the band's first albums that I played to the breaking point.

Far from the super-polished melodic rock sound of The Final Countdown and Out of This World, Europe's self-titled debut album sounds more like a regionally displaced NWOBHM band than anything else. The band combined the charging riffs and vaguely sci-fi/fantasy lyrics of British power metal with elements of progressive rock and added a wild energy that only a band this young can provide. There are traces of the superstar melodic rock powerhouse the band would become, but at the time Europe was definitely a metal band. Songs like Seven Doors Hotel and Children of This Time wouldn't have been out of place on a Demon or Diamond Head album, and the rest of the album maintains that metal feel.

Some of these songs may seem a bit cheesy in retrospect, but when you consider the language barrier and the band's obvious passion for the material, you have to give them credit. The only real drawback is the album's poor production quality. Put this one in the CD changer with some more recent discs and you'll quickly find that you need almost double the volume to hear it.

I wouldn't call Europe a must-have album, as I'm sure there are some casual fans who will be content with the Final Countdown or one of the band's many greatest hits compilations. It is however a must-have for all serious Europe fans, as well as being one of the decade's more underrated metal albums.

Note to whoever owns the rights to the early Europe material: Can we PLEASE get some remastered versions on the market? These classic albums are practically screaming to be cleaned up with today's digital technology. Bonus tracks are optional, but digitally remastered versions of Europe and Wings of Tomorrow are mandatory. August 23, 2006

Yes this is the same Europe that wrote the notorious 'F' song!

The review by Darth Kommisar pretty much sums up this release. Anybody who actually likes 80's hard rock should own this album as at this point Europe were really in their own little world. They may have loved Thin Lizzy but this release has a teutonic grandiose sound that Lizzy just wouldn't of done.

Memories is right up there as one of the tremendous rock songs about lost opportunities. Seriously, anyone over the age of 14 or so should be able to relate to this song as it's so universal. Paradize Bay - the music and the lyrics sound like they should be two different songs. Whatever Joey Tempest was drinking at the time he wrote these lyrics I want some, it should NOT work but it does.

Of course this is a debut effort and thre are some creaky bits. But I can forgive it all as a guilty pleasure, and John Norums Boyazont is not the low point that many instrumentals are. In fact to me it's one of the highlights of the album. And also shows why he won best guitarist in the competition that saw Europe get the funding for this, their debut effort. January 18, 2006

Maybe 3.5 stars

The production, the composition, the lyrics. Everything is better on Wings of tomorrow. I would have given even a 4 stars but Wings is so much better.

A must for a fan. I like it very much in fact, but I got the feeling I will listen to Wings much mor often. August 30, 2005

Great debut

Released in 1983, I've had this album since 1989, when it was first relased in the US, and I've never lost interest. "Europe" captures the band at the start of their career when they were young and naive, and closest to their Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy influenced roots. Ahh, the innocence of youth. This album was recorded in just 2 weekends which is the strength (and weakness) of the recording.

I often think of this album as the little brother to "Wings of Tomorrow". The music has good live energy and sounds very honest and uncompromised, while not having quite the same feeling of accomplishment that would've been provided by a more expensive studio production.

All 9 songs are great. "Seven doors hotel" is reason enough to buy this disc. Long before the world outside of Sweden and Japan discovered the band, this song was a major hit in Japan and remains a classic to this day. The ballads "The King will return" and "Words of wisdom" have much depth and charm. "Boyazont" is a great instrumental and example of why John Norum is one of the most underrated guitarist in the history of rock.

January 27, 2005

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