PERFECT PLAN is thrilled to announce the release of a new studio album, ‘Heart Of A Lion,’ set for release on February 28, 2025, via Frontiers Music Srl. Coinciding with the announcement, the band also shares the first single, “We Are Heroes”, accompanied by a new music video.
Lead singer Kent Hilli describes the first single, by saying:
“’We Are Heroes’ is a song about the “everyday life heroes” we humans can be… Like nurses, doctors, firefighters, police officers, etc., but also about humans climbing their way up from everyday struggles, substance abuse, other addictions, mental health issues, and becoming a better version of themselves. At the same time, helping and inspiring others by stating themselves as an example of progress and recovery. When I wrote the lyrics, I was imagining myself in a conversation with God about our everyday struggles as humans. As humans, we face different choices every day but the choice to choose love will always be the best and the only way for us going forward.”
PERFECT PLAN’s fourth studio album, “Heart Of A Lion” marks the culmination of the band’s musical production to date. Over the course of their first trilogy of albums, “All Rise”, “Time For A Miracle” and “Brace for Impact”, the Swedes have quickly established themselves as a new gold standard in not only the Scandinavian melodic rock genre, but the melodic rock genre as a whole.
Talking about ‘Heart Of A Lion,’ Hilli continues:
“The new album is once again showcasing that we have developed and matured as a band in terms of songwriting and production. The melodies, riffs, and hooks that we have created on this album are overall the best we’ve done so far. I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished. Although our main influences like Survivor, Foreigner, Europe, and Whitesnake are still shining through, there’s that unmistakable PERFECT PLAN sound that is the driving center of it all. And I think we have strengthened that sound and identity.
“With ‘Brace For Impact’ we wanted to discover a new heavier and ‘in your face’ sound but on this album, we are back to the sound of the first two albums, with more keyboards and bigger sound taking you back to the 80’s with a modern touch and feel. On this album, we once again teamed up with Mårten Eriksson, whom we worked with on ‘Time For A Miracle.’
Hilli adds:
“Mårten brought his extreme talent to the songs both co-producing with us and also did he mixing. Mårten’s long experience as both a songwriter and producer in the pop industry brought so much to the table and the end result is simply fantastic. If you liked our previous albums, you are gonna love ‘Heart Of A Lion’!”
Kent Hilli is a one-of-a-kind singer that gained a world-class reputation almost from the start. His class, range, tone, and heartfelt expression caught the attention of his heroes Giant, who picked him to sing on their latest album ‘Shifting Time,’ and saw Kent releasing two solo albums in 2021 (‘The Rumble’) and 2023 (‘Nothing Left To Lose’).
Completing the lineup is: Rolf Nordström, guitarist extraordinaire, Mats Byström, the music mastermind who plays bass and forms a solid, rock-hard base with drummer Fredrik Forsberg. The subtle textures, so important in AOR, come from Leif Ehlin’s keyboards.
‘Heart Of A Lion’ is a powerful statement from the band offering their absolute best songwriting and production ever: a strong offering with roots very well planted in the 80’s AOR sound. Produced in collaboration with Mårten Eriksson, the band was determined to top the musical results they had previously reached and took a few months to come out with the right musical material.
Sometimes the stars align, and the result is absolutely stunning: a perfect balance of energy and unforgettable melodies is what you are going to find in ‘Heart Of A Lion.’
