Miss Behaviour: Last Woman Standing

AOR newbies with classy debut.

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It’s easy to see why Sweden’s Miss Behaviour have burst onto the melodic hard rock scene with such a flourish.

Complete with layered guitars and whoa-whoa backing, if opening track, 1988, doesn’t lay the band’s cards on the table firmly enough then Cynthia, a driving-paced, keyboard-rich, sugar-coated rocker renders their agenda crystal clear.

Citing Magnum, Journey, Foreigner, Yngwie and Europe as influences, the quartet play effortless-sounding, harmonious hard rock, overlain with great, accent-free vocals. The 1980s are freely celebrated here – Miss Behaviour don’t wear spandex or sport puffed-up hair, but they almost should.

Perfect War, which features a guest solo from former Helloween/current Masterplan guitarist Roland Grapow, reveals the group at their heaviest, but the importance of a memorable hook continues to exert its influence. Even when a song is stretched out to seven minutes long, a deliciously pompous duet between Roos and Kajsa Berg, your attention remains intact.

H.E.A.T. and Houston, you have rivals.

Dave Ling

Dave Ling was a co-founder of Classic Rock magazine. His words have appeared in a variety of music publications, including RAW, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Prog, Rock Candy, Fireworks and Sounds. Dave’s life was shaped in 1974 through the purchase of a copy of Sweet’s album ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’, along with early gig experiences from Status Quo, Rush, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Yes and Queen. As a lifelong season ticket holder of Crystal Palace FC, he is completely incapable of uttering the word ‘Br***ton’.