The Man from the Moon - Rocket Attack Review
by Mark Hensch
http://www.rocknworld.com/thrashpit/
. Here is a blast from the past. This Rocket Attack is powered by nostalgic, fond
memories towards the 1980s symphonic and arena hard rock movements,
presenting The Man from the Moon as decidedly retrogressive. Sensitive yet
rocking, cheesy yet serious, Rocket Attack recalls a time when rock and
roll---and ONLY rock and roll---ruled the entire musical world.
And what a world it was. Over the course of preparing for this review, my
listens of Rocket Attack have conjured up memories of acts as disparate as Billy
Joel, Rush, Journey, Asia, Elton John, and dozens more. The order of the day is
loud, rocking keyboard rock, gorgeously rendered and with plenty of heart.
Songs range from the shimmering, delicate ballad to the full throttle rock
monsters and everything in between.
Just for fun, I will pick two random tracks and compare them as a means of
exploring this paradox. An album opener like title track “Rocket Attack,” for
example, busts out hard rocking riffs laced with swirling background effects and
buckets of hooks with a balance of heaviness and sugar akin to rock candy.
In contrast, a number like “The Walker” quietly strolls through moonlit avenues
that are subdued, poignant, and intimate all at once.
The variety does not end there, however. “Warm Blooded Woman” kicks off
with some guitar abuse worthy of a minor Van Halen showboating jam, all
before launching into an over-the-top power anthem. “President of Madness,”
meanwhile, starts off as an uplifting keyboard jaunt ala the classic “Final
Countdown” before switching gears and cranking the amps up in the guitars
department. “In Love and Memory” next mixes folksy chords with melodramatic
harmonics and booming arena rock, only to switch back and forth with a moody
grace. After this, the weird duo of “Ice Man” and “Dance Mama” take the band’s
normal keyboard/arena rock format and injects just a whispering hint of chilly
synth pop to the proceedings.
Best of all though is undisputed album highlight “Eagle Free.” This song is so
damn good it deserves its own f*cking paragraph. It is that rare kind of song
which transcends typical description, instead capturing something beyond
mere music---a zeitgeist perhaps. The music is loud and fun, yet sad too,
all while sounding simple but in reality being well-crafted and
powerfully built. Best of all is how it captures The Man from the Moon’s dual
natures. At some points, “Eagle Free” is a blistering hard rocker and others a
vortex of breathlessly exhilarating keyboard passages. All of it,
however, captures the beauty of rock and roll in one beautiful moment.
Like any true Rocket Attack, this one seemingly dropped from the sky and
exploded right into my ears, and with as little warning as that. Rarely has a
band sounded so confidently oldschool while remaining current and
relevant as well---these guys are the real deal. Touching, entertaining, and
always engaging, this is my pick for the sleeper album of 2008. Simply
put, Rocket Attack is one album definitely worth going over the moon for.

The Man From The Moon / Rocket Attack
Rocket Attack Spielzeit: 48:52
Medium: CD
Label: Black Mark Production, 2008
Stil: (Symphonic) Rock
Review vom 26.06.2008
Alexander Mathias

You get it as a review-writer is not always easy ... An attractive digipack,
decorated in shades of blue and decorated with a fantasy theme,
in front of me on the desk. The Man From The Moon presents his album "Rocket Attack.
While I can see the booklet, all lyrics, but only a single name: Micke (MIMO) Moberg.
And the accompanying promotional labels do not want to give more details.
Fortunately, there is the Internet.
The Swedish Home of Micke Moberg has since been much more to tell.
Unfortunately, not for me, I'm not speak the Swedish language ...
Scanty information from other snippets of the Web grows in me after all, the
realization that we are dealing with The Man From The Moon is a one-man
project. But I had somehow been reading the booklet suggested ... Therefore, in this
review is just pure sensation. And there is a decent surprise.
"Rocket Attack" keeps an exciting and varied mix of rock, metal, and
sometimes a little ready symphonic synths.
Memories of Journey and Boston are awake, enriched in parts with riffs that
AC / DC might have originated from. Even David Bowie's "Aladdin Sane"
creative phase, the 1973 shines by listening again and again, not least
because of the way, as Micke Moberg builds the songs and used varying his voice.
The trick of this CD is that the different styles Moberg sent superimposed
enriches with his own compositional elements and soundmäßig thus
sprucing up.
Kurzweil is the result, because each track is waiting to see what happens next.
Even lyrically can not splash out Moberg. Emotions, thoughts about people
dealing with each other, the environment and current policies are in the focus.
As a taster here is an excerpt of
"President Of Madness quotes":
"I just do not understand why people do not like me
I am the sheriff, I arrest and let free
I help poor countries from the devil in red
I think they have the oil that belongs to me
I am your leader
The president of nothing
If you deny me I'm gonna come for you "
You do not have to think long about who is meant in this song ...
Music and lyrics go to "Rocket Attack" hand in hand, which constitutes the charm of each song.
Even after several listens to this album can discover new details.
So The Man From The Moon will easily spend their way into the ranks of the CDs worth
listening to there permanently.
It would be gratifying if "Rocket Attack" does not become a mayfly, Micke
Moberg, finally has enough creative potential that is sufficient for further large litters.
Perhaps Moberg will also eventually provide us with a bit more background
information. In English would suffice. Otherwise, old cock,
I must still take a language ...
Line-up:
Micke (MIMO) Moberg (vocals, all instruments)

THE METAL OBSERVER - Review of Rocket Attack - By Mitchel
The Man From The Moon, - Rocket Attack (9/10) - Sweden - 2008
http://www.metal-observer.com/articles.php?lid=1&sid=1&id=14621
Genre: Melodic Rock
Label: Black Mark
Playing time: 48:47
Band homepage: -

Tracklist:
01.Rocket Attack
02.Warm Blooded Woman
03.Eagle Free
04.Revolution
05.President Of Madness
06.In Love And Memory
07.The Walker
08.I Am Your God
09.Ice Man
10.Dance Mamma
11.Time Gives A Moment
12.My Home Town

Well, about a year ago I received the MAN FROM THE MOON lead single from the
then-forthcoming “Rocket Attack”; I reviewed it favourably and mentioned that I couldn’t wait
for “Rocket Attack” to show up at the TMO offices. Well, that fateful time has finally come,
and I must say, the wait was definitely worth it.

If you checked out the lead single (which contained “Warm Blooded Woman” and “My Home Town,”
both of which are present and accounted for on “Rocket Attack”) then you’ll find that
it was a good indication of the rest of the album. Though it does have its harder moments,
“Rocket Attack” is mostly a gentler affair; ballads abound, and clean electric and acoustic
guitars are more likely to be heard than crunchy distorted guitars. Frequent use of
keyboards add to the mellow atmosphere. Yep, this is definitely an 80s-influenced album.

Surprisingly, I found myself enjoying the softer songs like “My Home Town” and “The Walker”
much more than some of the up-tempo rockers. The utter calmness of these songs enforces
a sense of peace with the world that totally jives with the current season of summer. “Rocket Attack”
is the perfect soundtrack to a summer barbeque after a long day of work; “My Home Town”
in particular is a great song to just chill to. Add that to the fact that pretty much every
song is laced with memorable melodies and catchy hooks, and you’ve got one heck of a winner.

Even though the rockers can’t hold a candle to the ballads, most of them are still pretty
damn good in their own right. “Eagle Free” has a soaring chorus that lives up to its name,
while “Dance Mamma” comes off as a melange of INXS, ABBA, and some kind of Hair
Metal. “Time Gives A Moment” features a piano that doubles the guitar, creating a neat
sound.

Sometimes, great Melodic Rock albums are found in unlikely places. Frontiers Records and
MTM Music are the two Melodic Rock mainstays, and then all of sudden, Black Mark
comes up with THE MAN FROM THE MOON. It’s a tad surprising, to say the least, but the
surprise is one hundred percent good. If you’re looking for something a bit different and rawer
than your typical airbrushed AOR release, give “Rocket Attack” a shot. It’s a very unique
album, but at the same time it still delivers catchy hooks and unforgettable melodies; it’s a
shining example of what should happen when one wishes to tackle a proven genre in a different way.

(Online July 22, 2008)
The Man From The Moon, - Rocket Attack (9/10)

Mitchel Betsch