.Freedom
| Journey
.Freedom
Freedom is the fifteenth studio album by the American rock band Journey, released on July 8, 2022, through BMG Rights Management and Frontiers Records. It is the second album to date not to feature founding bassist Ross Valory, who was dismissed in 2020. He is instead replaced with Randy Jackson who was last on Raised on Radio. With fifteen songs and a run time of one hour and thirteen minutes; this is the longest Journey album ever released, excluding compilations. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
Show All-
Ultimate Classic Rock
So, on Freedom, their first album in 11 years, Journey sounds pretty much like you expect them to: tuneful, familiar and safe. The album isn't nearly as appealing as their career highlight Escape, but any attempt to assimilate or rewrite their past is bound to lose some luster over time. In an age when legacy artists either move on completely (Robert Plant, few others) or spin in place (Deep Purple, many others), Journey chooses to stick to what they know.
-
Cryptic Rock
Overall, Freedom does much to buoy flagging spirits that have been assaulted by a series of unprecedented events that has peopled divided, scared, and summarily depressed. Looking even further into things, not only has Journey’s music changed, but so has their classic Journey Scarab artwork. Refreshed, it is more defined with a pair of outstretched vibrantly colored wings surrounded by blue light.
-
Rock 'N' Load Magazine
Glorious from start to finish this is one Journey you’ll want to get on board.
-
Markus' Heavy Music Blog
Freedom is more than just a word in these wild times. It’s a basic need and we realize that freedom is not a given, but that everyone has to stand up and fight for it. ‘Freedom’ is a great addition, because the album, with its positive mood, delivers a great contribution. Melodic rock fans should certainly not miss this musical treat, it is a highlight in the musical 2022.
-
AllMusic
It's the songwriting that feels tired. That said, a band that's been around for just under 50 years has every right to indulge in some artistic navel-gazing. Classic rock is the new oldies, and artists still fanning and feeding the flames do so with shovels encumbered by nostalgia.
-
Louder
A succession of songs that are the stuff of legend.
-
Stereoboard
Proving great material can paper over a great many cracks, this record demands you stand down your analytical muscles and enjoy it for all the entertainment on offer. And that’s a lot. It won’t please every Journey fan, because nothing ever does. But there’s enough depth, variety, class and staying power to render ‘Freedom’ a perfectly imperfect addition to their catalogue.
-
Distorted Sound Magazine
While some may perceive this as a straightforward way for the band to make money, it has exposed them to a whole new audience that would never have listened to them before. This album has come at a perfect time, just as those under 30 are discovering that this band are so much more than their standard radio hits and instead create music that deserves to be screamed from rooftops.
-
HeadBangers Lifestyle
‘Freedom’ is a feelgood album. It just feels good to hear Journey that can still deliver excellent songs that give you a warm and comfortable feeling. It is not that the band has dramatically changed. They are sticking to their brilliant melodic rock and AOR environment and they are true masters of the trade. A trade that with the release of ‘Freedom’ hopefully gets some more attention again now that frontrunner Journey is back in business. The time of Steve Perry lays behind us, Journey has gracefully moved on with Pineda and with a second vocal wonder in the person of Castronovo back in the group, things can only improve. Just don’t keep us waiting for another eleven years, please gentlemen.
-
Drew's Reviews
If Freedom was the debut album of a new band many likened to Journey, a la Greta Van Fleet to Led Zeppelin, the album just might journey to the top of the charts. Journey unfortunately suffers from being Journey holding on to a primary fanbase who slow-danced to their hits at prom 40 years ago. But Journey is more than just that Journey. And Freedom proves it, as Journey seems intent, perhaps, on taking a departure from the past in order to take a look into the future.
-
My Global Mind
This is most likely not a conventional Journey record, and I’m fine with that. You have a band that is creating something that still encompases a mix of all their typical elements, and with a capable front man to lead them, the music on “Freedom” is seamless and easy to digest. The production is razor-sharp, other than for a couple of songs where Pineda’s vocals sound a bit drowned by the drums and bass. It’s a very solid release by a band that has a repertoire that can put most to shame. To be able to keep doing this so many years later it’s worth high praise.
-
Sea of Tranquility
Honestly, there aren't any clunkers here, all the songs contain catchy hooks and melodies, the playing is top-notch as you would expect, but there are some nitpicky elements of the production that stick out like a sore thumb. Still, I'd expect a few of these would sound right at home in a two-hour Journey live set, so that carries a lot of weight in my book. Freedom is a fun, enjoyable set of new songs from Journey, and let's hope it's not another 11 years for more.
Rate This Album and Leave Your Comments