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Nordic Union: Second Coming

Melodic Heavy Metal Rock

4.5/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Released: 09.11.2018
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 06.11.2018

No, Jesus has not made his triumphant return to earth. Second Coming marks the return of the Nordic union of Danish vocalist Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids) and Swedish songwriter and guitarist Erik Martensson (W.E.T., Eclipse, etc). We first heard from Nordic Union back in 2016, another project created by Frontiers Music President Serafino Perugino.

Nordic Union

We can cut to the chase with this review. Second Coming, as it names implies, is another platter of Nordic Union's entertaining melodic heavy metal rock. Essentially, it's the best of both worlds of the two musicians. You have the catchy melodic hard rock side of Martensson joined at the hip to the melodic metal of Atkins' Pretty Maids. It's the perfect mixture of metal heaviness with AOR accessibility from two masters of both. You got sharp riffs and a thick bottom end for metal heaviness, but also an abundance of guitar and vocal harmony enveloped into memorable melodies for the AOR groove. Within all this Atkins' voice and Martensson's guitar solos roar and soar throughout.

Melodic metal rockers abound with tunes such as My Fear And My Faith, The Best Thing I Never Head, The Final War, and It Burns, which drops in a melodic piano line. Alternatively, true metal anthems come with New Life Begins and Breathtaking, where both numbers rise and swell to magical crescendos. With Die Together, Nordic Union develops another metal anthem, yet with a more contrasting mellow movement before the blazing guitar solo kicks in. In the end, with Second Coming Nordic Union once more delivers as advertised, offering more effective and entertaining melodic heavy metal rock. Recommended.

Witherfall: A Prelude To Sorrow

Progressive Metal

4.0/5.0

Los Angeles metal act Witherfall made ocean-like waves in the metal underground with their debut album, Nocturnes And Requiems. Mostly a DIY project, with founder ... [ Read More ]

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

With Second Coming Nordic Union once more delivers as advertised, offering more effective and entertaining melodic heavy metal rock. Recommended.

Alphabetical Index

Next year, American metal band Riot V, founded by the late guitarist Mark Reale (d. 2012), will celebrate their 50th anniversary in the metal business. Though we haven't had a new studio album from the band ... [ Read More ]