When the two basic masterminds behind an album is non other than Erik Martensson (Eclipse) and Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids) then the final outcome is guaranteed almost beforehand. The self-titled debut album by Nordic Union not only has met and surpassed our expectations but it can easily be regarded as one of the best albums of 2016 (mind you this was released at the end of January)! With a bombastic and pristine production that blow your mind and a unique energy that rushes through the speakers Nordic Union proves that this is a force to be reckoned with and makes us realize that this should not be a project but a regular band. But what’s the most astonishing aspect of the album is the absolutely high qualitative level of the compositions that unavoidably bring in mind the last couple of albums by Eclipse and the melodic side of Pretty Maids.
Catchy songs (my God, what an anthem “Hypocrisy” is!), choruses built at breakeneck speed (“Falling” is an absolute highlight), powerful and rhythmic drum patterns (“When Death Is Calling” makes you wanna drive yourself into an endless headbanging) and most importantly melodic verses straight out of the Pretty Maids repertoire (“21 Guns” could have easily belonged to a classic Pretty Maids album)…do you need more? This is a masterpiece; this is an album that every melodic rock fan should be proud of and we couldn’t have asked for a better start for 2016!
Highlight: Erik Martensson is definitely one of the most prolific musicians in the melodic rock genre nowadays.
