Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Nordic Union, Athrox, De-Arrow, Holter, & Ten

Index

Second release from Ronnie Atkins and Erik Martensson. These guys have a very good chemistry and both come from very influential bands in the scene with Pretty Maids, Eclipse, W.E.T., etc. I really liked the first record by this band, but feel they have turned it up another notch in terms of quality. The songs are melodic, but with an edge. Very memorable stuff that will stay with you long after the listen concludes. Obviously these guys are really tight from a musicianship standpoint. Listening to the band's sound, you will probably be thinking Pretty Maids due to Ronnie's unique vocals. This band is a hybrid in terms of sound however and the music comes across as something any of those bands mentioned would release. This is very high quality stuff from another Frontiers hybrid project. Love these arrangements and hope to see more from these guys!

Release Date: November 9, 2018

There is good stuff coming out of Italy. Athrox is one of those bands I am referring to. This band is a power metal band with thrash elements in my opinion. There music is heavy, yet accessible. I skimmed the promo and knew I was going to like it. What stands out to me is the hard guitar drive on the album. Lots of guitar riffing make this album a headbanger's delight. The band's first full length album was released back in 2016. So 2 years later we get another solid full length with good, consistent songwriting and delivery. It's hard to pick standout tracks. There is quite a bit of quality consistency on display here. I like all of them personally. For those who may be unaware of the band, check out the recent lyric video for 'Empty Soul'. You'll get a good feel for this band's sound. Very smooth track. Definitely recommended to metal fans that dig it heavier!

Release Date: November 9, 2018

If you are familiar with 20th Century Music, you will know already that they release more obscure music from years ago or stuff that wasn't ever released. De-Arrow was an Australian melodic hard rock band that had its run between 1983 and 1989. This record has a more late 80's sound to it and was put together through some high quality demos. The sound quality is really good and breathes fresh life into something that was pretty hard to find for those looking for it. This self titled album is like a time capsule with the songs having a feel as mentioned of the late 80's hard rock scene. It will have it's appeal to fans of that era mostly. After this band demise, a couple of the members formed the more known band Roxus and had a bit more success there. This is your chance to grab this title in its best ever form and not have to resort to lower quality avenues!

Release Date: November 16, 2016

Holter originally began as the Dracula rock opera releasing an album back in 2015 that featured Trond Holter and Bernt Jansen who fans will remember from Wig Wam and also the great Jorn Lande. This is the second outing for this group with the exception of Jorn Lande. Nils K Rue from Pagans Mind handles male lead vocals and Eva Iselin Erichsen handles female leads. This is a very solid melodic metal album. The musical atmosphere and subject of Vlad the Impaler fit perfectly. Their is a great heavy vibe, but the melodical elements are just as prevalent providing a very good overall balance. The first couple of videos are out with 'I'll Die For You' and 'The Last Generation' visualizing the music. The latter of the two is one of my favorite tracks. This is one of the best melodic metal albums of 2018. Definitely worthy of your time and listening!

Release Date: November 9, 2018

'Illuminati' is the latest from Ten and comes not too long after the previous record 'Gothica'. The album sounds exactly as Ten fans would expect. Melodic hard rock music with a decent amount of polish and great musicianship. I really like the vocal arrangements on this release. Some really cool vocal work can be found in the title track as well as 'Shield Wall', although Gary Hughes vocal work is always very smooth and he sounds unique in my opinion when comparing to the rest of the genre. To me, Ten has written some very good records and they always fall between very good and great. There isn't usually a disappointing record. This record has a very good vibe and falls into the 'great' category. It is very consistent in terms of quality and you could turn new fans onto this band with just about anything on this record. Easy recommend once again!

Release Date: November 9, 2018