House Of Shakira - Review for album III

Melodic Rock Magazine wrote: (http://www.melodicrock.com)
OVERALL: 98%
House Of Shakira's long awaited MTM debut, their third studio album overall opens with all the pomp and splendor one could wish for. Then it just gets better.
On III, the band step out from under the shadows of their influences and for the first time, just sound like House Of Shakira. This album sees the band mature into their own domain. Sure, there are still plenty of Journey like harmonies and soaring choruses, there are a few hard edged Led Zeppelin like guitar riffs and lots of grand Styx like chord progressions and time changes, but this really is the band's finest hour. In fact, it's their finest hour and 5 minutes!
The bands first album Lint was mainly big Journey-esque anthems and multi-layered harmonies, while their second album On The Verge was tougher and harder edge, but I thought lacked a killer punch in the songwriting department.
III combines the best of both those first 2 records. This is even tougher and heavier in places than ever before, but 100% better produced and the effort has been made to ensure every single track has a melodic hook or something to grab you by the throat with. There is an even split between heavy rockers, pure AOR anthems, and soaring ballads. Combine that with a razor sharp sound and the band's best individual performances to date and this is not only one of the best rock albums of this year, it's one of the best of any year.
Track By Track:
Pellucid Part 1 - A traditional Shakira 'tribal' intro.
Alien - Hard, aggressive, loud and a short heavy chorus that fits the song perfectly.
Wings - Heavier again, a progressive tinged mid tempo rocker with a Led
Zeppelin feel and an short, but aggressive chorus and very strong vocals.
In Your Head - An Eddie Van Halen riff gives way to a song that could fit on any Van Hagar album. A mid paced stadium rocker that has one hell of a killer AOR anthem chorus with layers of vocals! Melodic rock at it highest peak.
Nearly Orgasmic - a slightly more laid back semi-acoustic driven AOR ballad. Another soaring anthem chorus that's a little heavier than the verse. Fantastic.
Black And Blue Skies - another big aggressive rocker that fits the flow of the album well. Strong and powerful vocals.
Splitted Hairs - A totally acoustic number with an acappela chorus and sparse vocal over the top. Seemingly a little out of place, but it works well.
Miracle - More Van Hagar / classic Harem Scarem Mood Swings style melodic rock. Uptempo without being heavy, this track is another melodic rock highlight with a melodic verse moving into a totally over the top harmony filled chorus with layers and layers of electric and acoustic guitars giving the song a rich texture. The vocals are pure AOR magic.
Rainbows And Butterflies - an acoustic start that leads into full electric treatment with a solid guitar riff. More multi-layered harmonies and big vocals.
Time That Passed - a moody laid back intro as far as the first chorus, where the vocals are only accompanied by the guitar. A very powerful intro that gains momentum when the full band break in. A heavy rock ballad with one of the biggest and heaviest choruses I have heard on a ballad for a long time! A classic.
Unspoken - And again, more crashing anthem filled melodic hard rock with a vocal guitar intro that gives way to the band at full speed. Another chorus with soaring multi-layered vocals. Just unbelievable.
I Am - changing the pace a little here, just as well, I was about to completely lose it over these great anthems. This is a heavy, aggressive and somewhat complex mid-paced song that contemplates the meaning of life. Of course!
Unforgiven - more classic AOR at it's absolute finest. Most of you should know this uptempo vocal harmony dominated ballad by now from Internet previews. Brilliant, I can't turn it off.
Pellucid Part 2 - back to the complex and heavier side of the band. A song that takes several listens to get to know and like, but you will! And that ends the album for most.
Strangers (Japan) - another moody mid tempo song, a laid back chorus and good vocal.
Wish To Survive (Japan) - A hard edged guitar number that again is more music than the vocals. The chorus is layered, but not as anthemic as the earlier numbers.
Two good bonus tracks, but for sure the best numbers made the main release of the album, so don't stress if you can't get them.
BOTTOM LINE: What can I say? This album is brilliant. If all melodic rock releases were as good as this, we would all be broke, but happy as hell. This is an album any major label would be proud to release. The performance by the band is unquestionably good and the production is a sharp and intense as any million dollar album. House Of Shakira have supplied one of the best set of pure melodic rock songs since Steelhouse Lane and Danger Danger.
PRODUCTION: 97% SONGS: 99% VIBE: 98% ATTITUDE: 98%

On The Rocks Magazine wrote: (www.ontherocks.de)
The third one has to make it or to break it!?” - That’s one of the oldest rules in the music business and HOUSE OF SHAKIRA answer it with an album, that will definitely be one the best Melodic Rock albums of the year 2000. I have to be true, when I say, that I never thought, the band would be able to record such a great CD. Their first two albums “Lint” and “On The Verge” were two very promising albums, but somehow I missed always the certain something in their songs. The songs on “III” are full of certain somethings, that bands like JOURNEY and WHITE LION would be proud of! HOUSE OF SHAKIRA still combine fine crafted and perfect arranged Melodic Hard Rock with soft African and Oriental elements, like percussions or a few lyrics. One of the most positive aspects of “III” is, that the album is growing with every rotation and that you will always find new details and new favorite songs. Currently I would recommend you the earthy rockers “Wings”, “In Your Head”, “Black And Blue Skies”, “Miracle”, “Unforgiven” and the outstanding ballads “Nearly Orgasmic” and “Time That Passed”. These songs alone are worth to get the album. I can only congratulate MTM Music for their new signing - HOUSE OF SHAKIRA are top-notch! Check out the soundbytes.
Rating: 90 %

Nicky Baldrian at Strutter Magazine wrote: ( http://www.geocities.com/strutterzine/ )
HOUSE OF SHAKIRA '3' (MTM)
There are a million and one melodic rock bands out there at the moment, trying to re-write the classic rock book. Sweden's House Of Shakira are one of those bands whose material improves with each album release. "III" as you can guess, is the bands third album and first for MTM, and the band have rarely sounded better. The album contains a walloping fourteen songs in all, best of the bunch are the Extreme/Steelheart-ish "Wings", "Miracle", "Time That Passed", and "Pellucid Part 2", all the songs bare comparisons to most eighties band, but House Of Shakira are hugely talented musicians and a cut above most of the other bands around today, they mix there own original style with the aforementioned comparisons and thus "III" is a very rewarding album which oozes class every step of the way my only complaint is that album may be a little too long with some songs like "Black And Blue Skies", "Unspoken" and "Unforgiven" being slightly mediocre, never the less get "III" bought pronto.
Rating: 9/10

Brian Coles at Electic Basement wrote: ( http://www.electricbasement.com )
HOUSE OF SHAKIRA - III (MTM Music)
Long live melodic rock!!! Ahem...yes...well, its pretty damn near close to what we loved to hear in the 80s from serious-minded rockers like Dokken and Tesla, so why complain. Jutting from the cracks as an answer to the lifeless, grooveless crap alternative music brought the world of pop, melodic rock is indeed a breath of fresh air. Fortunately, much of the artists in the genre also like guitar riffs and loud, epic songs. And House of Shakira definitely adheres to the big chorus, powerful riff philosophy we all cherish here at the Basement. "Aliens" may just be the ultimate example of Shakira's ability to lay down a huge groove and rich chorus. Stomping forth with a monster riff and blaring vocals, one can't help but wish they cruisin' down the coast in a convertible. Nice. "Wings", like a mature Dokken piece, is a recipe for contemplation and universal appeal, vaguely wrapped in non-specific lyrics. "In Your Head" is a bit like modern Def Leppard, rockin' but totally free from edge. Yet for some reason, the overall feel is more legitimate and less a guilty pleasure. Perhaps its the lack of lip curl background vocals Leppard self-parodied (if unintentionally) in the 90s. "Nearly Orgasmic" is very serious song, despite the eyebrow raising title. Basically a waltzing, strolling life is good piece. Some of the choruses begin to sound the same after 14 selections, but the feeling is there. For some reason, the production has forgotten the bass, making the sound thinner than it should be. This aside, we have pleaant, feel good stadium rock.
3/5

Melodyrock.de wrote: ( www.melodyrock.de )
This excellent piece of work from the HOUSE OF SHAKIRA is definitely one of my favorites in the new millennium. What began with two very good newcomer albums on Bluestone Music (RIP) and a best of CD from MTM, cut together out of these two, is now one of the best melodic bands on this planet. And I only now one ore two better bands on mars :-). Creative melodies mixed with cutting guitars and African singalongs and a voice that forces you somehow to join it when you listen to III. It's magic. Go to your dealer, check out this CD, listen to IN YOUR HEAD or UNFORGIVEN and leave your money there.

Kurt Torster of STRIKTLY FOR KONNISSUER (SFK) wrote:
House Of Shakira – III, MTM, 2000
[Similarities: Journey, Styx, Pretty Maids]
I must admit that even before I spun this disc, the song titles sort of threw me as they are odd and don’t quite fit the songs sometimes. But considering that’s about the only complaint I can register here, things are good. Filled with a nice mixture of arena anthems, mid-tempo AOR and even some pretty heavy hard rock, the variety goes far to keep this interesting beyond the initial spins. Though the straight ahead arena rock of “In Your Head”, “Unspoken” and the monster “Miracle” are my faves here, songs like the Zep-like “Black And Blue Skies” or the acoustic ballad “Splitted [sic] Hairs” are also tasty and round out the experience. With huge choruses and equally as big melodies, this borders on essential. Pick this up along with their recently released “Best Of 2” and you may need no other CDs for quite a while…

Brian McGowan of Hardroxx wrote:
Adversity seems to have brought out the best in House Of Shakira. After the demise of Bluestone, who released the band's debut, and a lacklustre follow up album, many thought the band would split. On the contrary, they sound tighter than ever here, and perhaps more importantly, there's a grittiness and conviction to 'III' which will give pause for thought to the critics who condemned the first two albums as triumphs of style over substance. 'Wings', 'Black N'Blue' and 'I Am' illustrate this best. Producer Pontus Norgren has cut
away several layers of polish to reveal a dirtier, chunkier sound which gels surprisingly well with the band's close harmonies and sturdy, insistent melodies, whereas 'Unspoken' and 'Miracle' are closer to the band's first two albums, but with better riffs and heavier guitars. The less generous might suggest that 'In Your Head', 'Nearly Orgasmic' and 'Split Hairs' owe a great deal more to the first two Tyketto albums than House Of Shakira's own. Then again, many may see this as a selling point. The whole thing hangs together much more cohesively that you might think. The variation in production approach is refreshingly welcome, and indicates a willingness to stretch the sometimes restrictive melodic rock envelope much further than we thought the band capable of. But it's the fact that they've done so with even stronger material and a real sense of purpose which marks out this album as something special.
8/10

Roger Brosel of AOR Land wrote:
HOUSE OF SHAKIRA is, without any kind of doubt, one of the most innovative and talented bands in the AOR scene. Either you hate them or love them, these guys have written many good tunes and this third cd is the confirmation that they are here to stay. This disc has less African/Eastern stuff and more Hard Rock with Led Zep influences and some fantastic AOResque tunes like "In your Head" (brilliant!) or "Unforgiven". Both featuring a good dose of harmony vocals and Steve Perry-like vocals courtesy of aceman Andreas Eklund. All their previous albums took some time before you could taste their full flavour and "III" is not going to be the exception. A notable disc.
79/100

Eef Vink of Rockezine wrote:
Once again I was faced with a band I had never before heard of. And luckily once again I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of Sweden based rockers House Of Shakira. Having recorded 2 albums before these guys are not entirely new to the scene. In 1997 their debut album "Lint" appeared. It got the band a support slot for Royal Hunt. 1998 was a more troublesome year for the band, as the second album "On The Virge" as well as the first were not being distributed for reasons unknown to me and beyond House Of Shakira's responsibility… Luckily a compilation is available now called "Best Of 2". When Andreas Eklund (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Mats Hallstensson (guitars, lead guitars, vocals) moved from the north pole to Sweden it took them till 1989 to publish their first demo's under the name of "Station". Now, with House Of Shakira finally a CD on the market.. I give these guys an "a" for bad luck and endurance. And the waiting proves to be worthwhile… Anders Lundstr�m (guitars, keyboards), Per Schelander (bass, acoustic bass, vocals) and Tony Andersson (drums) complete the line-up of 5. The music could be described as pretty mainstream AOR but exceptionally well performed, written and recorded. Some songs stand out more (In Your Head) than others (Unspoken) but all sound solid and, very important, they sound like these guys had good time recording them. Singer Andreas Eklund has a very versatile voice. I actually had to contact the band to figure out if it was really him singing ALL tracks, cause I couldn't be sure if it's the same guy singing on "Wings" as on the wonderful track "In Your Head". He assured me that it was really all his handywork and I think he's done a great job. If I were to compare House Of Shakira as they sound on this album to another band, the first one to come to mind would be Tyketto. (or Vaughn.. hehe) Both these bands sound solid, versatile and professional and mature. Both with relatively little recordings out on the market. This might just turn out to be one of the albums that end up in my top 5 of the year!
9/10

AOR Central wrote:
In the world of AOR and Melodic Hard Rock, it is inevitable that some newer bands will have a sound similar to early bands such as Journey, Survivor, Europe, and Dokken. And indeed, this is something that some fans may dislike about the genre, who wish for the music to take on a new style and help AOR/MHR compete with other styles of music in the 21st century. If that is the case, then House of Shakira are the band that all the "dissenters" have been waiting for. I can honestly say that I have never heard a band that sounds like HOS. As Sweden has been known to set the standard for AOR music, you may be surprised to find out that HOS do not really sound like any other Swedish band and in fact have a style all their own. Their third and latest release finds them continuing their unique style and injecting even more new elements into it. To this day I have not yet found out what the band name stands for, but I am led to believe that it is something spiritual or religious. Nevertheless, the album begins with the intro song "Pellucid Part 1" which is a rather strange sounding instrumental leading into the first track, "Alien". This song is an uptempo guitar driven groovy song that is sure to get things started in the right mood. The guitars are loud and so are the vocals, with various multi-layered vocal harmonies thrown into the mix. I actually am surprised that this was the first track, as I feel that there are certainly better songs in the album. Not a bad track, but not a great one (like you ordinarily need to start off an album). "Wings" introduces a very dreamy sound mixed with great sounding guitars and is a more midtempo song. Singer Anders Eklund sounds crystal clear and his voice really fits well with the dreamy sound of this song. I must say that HOS are sounding fresher each time around, and especially with this song they establish themselves as a unique band. Now that HOS have established themselves as a totally unique band, let's go for a not-so-unique but incredible song called "In Your Head". This is pure melodic hard rock done exactly how you want it, full of catchy guitars, great singing, and hooks all over the place. This song is incredibly addictive and has one of the best choruses I have ever heard. If you're looking for a song that will hit you with loads of hooks and leave you speechless this is it. Even after two weeks this cd has not left my car and it seems that it never will, because of this amazing track. What else can I say other than HOS know exactly how a great melodic hard rock should be done. This is by far the best track in the album, and I hate to admit it, but at least this time around, HOS are at their best when they are not inventing a new sound. Things slow down a bit with "Nearly Orgasmic", which is a soft AOR song similar to Joey Tempest and Michael Kiske. In fact, those of you who have heard the first Michael Kiske solo will agree that in this song Eklund sounds quite similar to Kiske. However, the song has the HOS touch and is a really good soft song, after the burning previous track. "Black and Blue Skies" gets things heavier again, and indeed, this is the heaviest song in the album. This is actually a midtempo song with a groovy bass line and sort of psychedelic verse. Whilst I think this is an interesting track, it is one that I find myself skipping when I listen to the cd. I do believe that fans of heavier hard rock will enjoy this one but for AOR fanatics this is one to skip over. Never fear mates, "Splitted Hairs" gets things soft again. This one is an all acoustic song with some great hooks and singing and is probably the softest song in the album. This one has a Frontline ("Two Faced" album) feel to it, and is a very good song to listen to on a rainy day. When I mentioned that HOS have a sound of their own I wasn't kidding. "Miracle" is an uptempo rocker that has some interesting things to offer. At first you might think it's just another HOS rock song, but toward the end it slows down and becomes almost a gospel type of song! I hope HOS will forgive my ignorance but I have no idea what they are singing at the end of the song. My guess is that it's an African tribal type of song. At any rate, it's not in any language that I know so we will just leave it at that. But it is an interesting song and further proves that these blokes are not just another rock band. "Rainbows and Butterflies" is an uptempo acoustic AOR song that has some pop elements to it and is one of those songs that makes you feel good all over. Just play this song on the cd player and sing
right along! This is a very addictive song and one that you will find yourself listening to quite a few times. "Time That Passed" slows down things a bit and in the beginning is a ballad type of song. I actually liked the calmness of this song but it later becomes more midtempo and makes me wish that it had stayed slow. It is a good song nevertheless, but I felt that it may have been better if they had kept this song a wimpy ballad (wimpy songs are great!) "Unspoken" really picks things up a bit, as this one is certainly an uptempo rocker, with razor-sharp guitars and vocal harmonies. It's not as good as "In your Head" but fans of the uptempo melodic hard rock are going to like this one. "I Am" ruins the mood that the last few songs created in that it lacks the hooks that the last few songs had. It's actually a more midtempo song but sounds a lot different from the last few tracks in that the guitars aren't as polished sounding. I could have done without this track. However, as HOS have proven, if they have a not-so-good track, they come right back with a good one. "Unforgiven" is pure melodic hard rock and right from the opening seconds you will be convinced that this is a quality song. Whilst the verse is midtempo, the tempo picks up by the time the chorus comes around and provides you with a very smooth sounding and catchy chorus. This is exactly what fans of AOR/MHR are looking for and is full of great hooks to keep you interested. The last song in the album, "Pellucid Part 2" is a bit better than the first part in that it is actually a complete song. I must admit that it does take a few minutes for the song to become interesting. I feel that the first part of the track could have been omitted entirely, but there is a great guitar anthem toward the end of the song that really makes it all worth it. This is a very nice way to end the song and the album, with a beautiful guitar anthem similar to what Zeno Roth would have done.
BOTTOM LINE: HOS are certainly one of the freshest bands out there yet. This album will not disappoint if you were already a fan of HOS and will certainly add more fans, but those of you who wanted typical AOR/MHR might be disappointed. Indeed, it's not one of those albums that will come right out and grab you, but rather, it takes a few listens to realise how good it actually is. And, "In Your Head" is such an incredible song that you might find yourself buying the album just for this one track! Whilst no other song in the album comes even close to this one, there are other really good catchy AOR songs in here. There are perhaps three or four songs in this album I could have
done without, but since there are so many tracks (14) there are certainly enough good tracks to keep you interested. HOS are probably the most unique band in this genre and if you wnat something different you should definitely check them out. Whilst this will not be classified as an all time great AOR album, it is quite good and there are moments in here where HOS shine and that you will want to be a part of.
84/100

Tony Sison of Atomic Chasers wrote:
If you ask what I thought of Sweden's HOUSE OF SHAKIRA, I would tell you
that they are probably one of the most underrated rock bands in world. I remember when I heard the band's debut release, 'Lint', and how I was so impressed with what I heard I called all my friends and told them about this band, only to get the response, "Who?". So please allow me to enlightened all of my friends and the rest of the rocker and rollers out there, about House Of Shakira once again and tell you why the band's latest release simply titled, 'III', is one that have you going ga ga over. House of Shakira are, Andreas Eklund on lead vocals, Anders Lundstrom on guitar and keyboards, Mats Hallstensson on guitar and vocals, Per Schelander on bass and vocals and Tony Andersson on drums. 'III', finds the band taking their melodic hard rock sound that they presented on, 'Lint' and their second release, 'On The Verge', which I thought was a solid release that did not get the recognition that it deserved, and taking it to a whole new level. A more aggressive sound, but still keeping their melodic sound in tact. The CD opens with, "Pellucid Part 1", a short instrumental piece that segues into the rocking, "Alien", with Andreas Eklund powerful vocals shouting out, "We would like to welcome you the show, to show you what our power can do." This is exactly what they do and they do it in fine fashion. I immediately noticed how much the band's sound had matured when the next song, "Wings", shot out of my speakers. This is House Of Shakira at their AOR best! The guitar tandem of Anders Lundstrom and Mats Hallstensson are right on target. You like your AOR rock served up with harmonies? On the song, "In Your Head", the band serve up a good dose of harmonies that would make any Journey or Styx fan proud. Now what separates House Of Shakira from the other AOR rock band's out there is wiliness to try various other musical styles and fuse it into their music. At one point the band is delivering straight ahead rockers like, "Splitted Hairs" and the just as rocking, "Black And Blue Skies", then at a drop of a dime they can shift gears and can hit you with something completely different like, the tribalistic romp of, "Time That Passed" and heart-felt emotion of, "Miracle". House Of Shakira will hit you from all angles and the proof is in music they offer here with, 'III'. I'll tell you the same thing I told readers when I reviewed, 'Lint', this is a band that has lots of promise and a very bright future. The band did not let me down, because they proved me right with this CD. If you haven't had the opportunity to experience the magic in House Of Shakira's music, check out, 'III', and let their music cast its spell on you.

Torch of Rock And A Hard Place wrote:
"Is it for real if you know it's just at miracle" - from "Miracle", House of Shakira III. These guys are living proof of miracles. After all the adversity they've gone through, they come out with their strongest effort to date. Now that they are finally on a stable Record Label like MTM, they've been able to settle in and put out a project that defines their career so far. "III" has traces of their first two projects, "Lint" and "On The Verge", while keeping a personality of it's own. Every House Of Shakira album has had that song, you know, that song that you can't get out of your head no matter what! On "Lint" it was "Method Of Madness", on "On The Verge" it was "Best Of Times", and on their latest, it's "Wings". However, this is a band that doesn't base an album around one song, and "III" is a prime example of that.
They have gone heavier than ever before, ("Black And Blue Skies") and the softest they've ever gone ("Splitted Hairs"). They've become even harder to label because of the diversity here. Maybe the best way is to call them a Hard Rock band pure and simple. There's parts of AOR, Metal and Rock here. They make good use of their acoustic abilities even on some of their heavier songs, which to me has become one of their specialties. Each member is at the top of their game on "III". Andreas Eklund has one of the smoothest voices I've ever heard, he can belt it out and croon with the best of them. What makes him special is his ability to go from one style to another so quickly. The guitar work is spectacular, Mats Hallstennsson and Anders Lundstrom continue to grow and excel. When people talk about great guitar duos, it's usually from heavier bands. These guys do it all, from the shredding solos to the beautiful acoustic work. Per Schelander on bass has a nice solid tone. Per also wrote on a lot of the songs, AND has a new haircut. (Nice "do" Per, now how will you keep the women away!) Tony Andersson is a hard-hitting drummer that keeps House Of Shakira sounding heavy. I've always liked his snare tone, very sharp and crisp. I will admit that House Of Shakira is one of very few bands that can get me to listen to a ballad. Their slower stuff is so damn powerful and the backing vocals provide such an added dimension that you can't help but get hooked in. Very few bands make use of melody like House Of Shakira. "Time Has Passed" has such a huge chorus of backing vocals, you forget it's a ballad. When they are at their best are tracks like "Wings", "Alien", and "Miracle". Upbeat Melodic Power Rock with some of the hookiest choruses out there, hell, their pre-choruses are stronger than most bands chorus. They branch out here with songs like "I Am" and "Pellucid Part 2" which are more modern and slightly dark. "III" is a must for anyone who's a fan of music! They're one of those bands anyone can appreciate. They're heavy enough so guys aren't ashamed to listen, and Melodic enough with the right subject matters for women to adore these guys. Anyone who has a shred of musical
knowledge will know these guys are extremely talented. You could listen to this 25 years from now, or 25 years ago.
House Of Shakira is truly a band for the ages.

Vagilante Magazine wrote:
"III - HOUSE OF SHAKIRA
Third effort by these Swedes fronted by Andreas Eklund on vocals, with Mats Hallstensson on guitars, Anders Lundstr�m on guitars/keyboards, Per Schelander on bass and Tony Andersson on drums. Aditional musicians on this album have been Pontus Norgren, Nassim AlFakir and Magnus Kronberg. I liked a lot both previous records by this band, so I must say I was eager to get this one. Well, I was by no means disappointed by this excellent album, full of energy and melody at the same time. But let's not anticipate, we'd better get into this "III". "Pellucid Part 1". Ethnical intro American-indian style. "Alien". Power rock full of energy, but not exempt of good melody. Really good vocals by Mr. Eklund. "Wings". It's almost impossible not to get caught under the spell of Eklund's voice in this track. This track starts as a mid tempo, evolving into a really heavy rock song, and it is for sure one of the sure hits of the album, well, at least it would be withthe proper promotion, airplay, etc. "In Your Head". This is a much more classic melodic hard rock tune. Great intro riff by Mats Hallstensson. Quite good back'up vox. Great song. "Nearly Orgasmic". Another mid tempo song. Excellent job by Mr. Eklund on vox. "Black And Blue Skies". A much harder song in a Talisman's Humanimal mood. Same kind of riffs, same vocal treatment, same brilliant backing vox, even similar bass scales. Are you guys sure you're not ripping JSS and MJ to the bone? ;-) "Splited Hairs". Acoustic slow song that gains a lot with Eklund on vox. "Miracle". Absolutely fantastic up tempo hard rock tune. Great melody, brilliant backing vocals, crunchy guitars, and then again, Mr. Anders Eklund singing. And the a capella ethnic Afro ending with those amazing backing vocals! My fave of the album so far. "Rainbows And Butterflies". Mid tempo track with an acoustic intro. Really good song. I really love the groovy bass line! "Time That Passed". Nice ballad in a classic melodic rock style. I specially like the dubbing of the vocals on the bridge. Brilliant back'up vox. a song full of passion that will make you thrill. One of the best ballads I've listened this year so far. "Unspoken". After the calm comes the storm, and so this tracks breaks the piece of mind that the previous one left us in. Really edged song, one of the hardest of the album, but as always full of melody. "I Am". Another mid tempo, but this one is much harder than the rest. It creates sort of an atmosphere with its very well worked combination of Zepp-like riff and the impressive vocals, both lead and backing. "Unforgiven". Being a good song, this is the worst of the album for me. The level has been set too high and this track just isn't on the same league as the others. Simply good. "Pellucid Part 2". Oniric outro that leads the album to an end, leaving us all wondering if what we listened was real or just a dream. If so, I don't wanna wake up! As a result, absolutely brilliant album, which has somehow two different sides, one more melodic, with more classic songs, so to say, and the other side, much harder, more dense and energic. Both sides, however are well ballanced and even melt on some of the tracks of the album. The songwritting is excellent, we're surely facing top class musicians who know what they're doing. But above all, the figure of Andreas Eklund rises. What a tremendous vocalist! I wonder what kind of food do they eat in Sweden that has brought and still brings most of the greatest singers ever. It wouldn't be fair though, not to mention the sensational work done on the backing voclas by the rest of the band. The production, which has been held by the band themselves, is reasonably good, if we take into account the more likely low budget this album has been recorded with. Probably, the fact that Pontus Norgren himself was behind the console, helped the band a bit with that issue. My advise, this album contains some memorable moments. It is really outstanding and is surely gonna be on top at the "album of the year" lists, so be sure you don't miss it and check it out. Highly recommended to those who think that everything has been already invented on melodic rock. Well, listen to this and let's talk later!

Fred Monster of Majestic Magazine wrote:
I already said it in my review of Best Of Two, earlier this year: “I'm really curious which direction the band will take on III. If it's anything near the style of the first two bonustracks that album might end up really high in my list this year.” Well, the album has become a lot more varied than only songs in the vein of Susan and You Touched Me, but that the album will end up high in my yearlist is for sure. The band surpasses itself on all levels with this new album. Let me warn you, it’s an album that needs a few spins. The first few times I didn’t really know what to make of it. Harder songs like Alien that don’t get to you that easy are mixed with hookfilled melodic gems like In Your Head and Nearly Orgasmic (what a great song!) that stick in you brain right after the first time you hear them. Which makes it a bit of a confusing album at first, as you don’t know if the songs that don’t stick immediately are bad songs or just need some growing. After a spin or ten you’ll know, because then the less accessible songs stick in you head as well and then all you’ll have to do is enjoy. Something I didn't quite like about the first two albums were the worldmusic influences. These are still present on III but not as dominant as on the first two albums. Recently I put the album in the CD player and put it on repeat, which is something I often do while reviewing an album. It has been on for about the whole day without getting boring for even one sec. Those are the kind of album’s I’m waiting for, lazy as I am… (LOL) The production leaves nothing to wish for either, so I think we can state that House Of Shakira has reached the top in AOR/Melodic Rock. Now let's hope they'll keep that same level for a long time...
5/5

AOR Website wrote:
I was anxious listening to the three new songs on "Best of 2" about the aristic direction of the band, but "III" made all my fears disappear. HOS has parted from the heavy Journey influences of their previous albums and now plays a more personal melodic rock. "Pellucid pt 1" is a short tribal intro to "Alien", class rock de lux that mixes superbly the melodies and the strenght of Damn Yankees, while the mid tempo "Wings" shows surprising Led Zeppelin influences. "In your head" has guitars similar to Van Halen and a refrain quite similar to The Storm, then we can relax with "Nearly orgasmic" a semi electric ballad. Again hard rock in "Black and blue skies" and the guitar riff copies "Achille's last stand" (Led Zeppelin) with a refrain in Styx style and a hot solo by Mats Hallstensson. "Splittered hairs" is a thin acoustic song guesting Pontus Norgren in the solo department, and at once "Miracles" refresh the american AOR sound. "Time that passed" is a great power ballad, perfectly orchestrated and performed with pathos, followed by the teenager song "Unspoken" and the groovy, complex songwriting of "I am". The last two songs are "Unforgiven" (good AOR again) and "Pellucid pt 2", unpleasant at a first listen, but with the word class printed all over.
Great!

Rockheads.dk wrote:
House of Shakira/III - 90% Genre - AOR rock Label - MTM Music
Because of troubles with the former two labels House of Shakira debut "Lint" and the follow up "On the verge", didn't become any huge succes when we're talking selling. Another reason could be the diversity in the music style, that caracterise the band back then. In my humble opinion is AOR mixed with african trible sound not the most obvious way to great an sound with an wide appeal. In the long run it was... hmm different. Anyway, III is much more straight, and is endeed one of the BEST AOR tunes this year. The sound is much more straigth and commercial sounding AOR in vein of Journey when they remembered to rock at "Trial by fire". With no doubt the bands best effort ever. For all the new fans, it's time to jump on the wagon... MA

David White of Open Up And Say Magazine wrote:
House Of Shakira's third disc remains essentially the same as their first two. If you are looking for something new, you will not fine it here. If you are like me, however, and don't mind getting the same disc over and over as long as it is good, then "III" is another recommended disc. House Of Shakira is a melodic rock band most similar in style to Tommy Shaw's Styx songs. Sometimes, other AOR influences like Journey will show through, also. In addition to the songwriting, vocalist Andreas Eklund also sounds a lot like Shaw. As is typical with House Of Shakira, there are some top quality tracks here, especially the first five, "Miracle," and "Time That Passed." While most of the tracks are highly melodic, there are a couple which are a little harder edged and less melodic. "I Am" is the best example of this. "III" is another top quality disc from an extremely consistent band. Some people may get tired of the same type of disc over and over, but I have little doubt that the vast majority of listeners love hearing more of this stylish melodic rock. Despite a couple of average tracks, House Of Shakira has followed up their debut with a disc of very high quality melodic rock.
4/5