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New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
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Arctic Rain: Unity
Arctic Rain: Unity
Melodic Hard Rock/AOR
4.0/5.0
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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 23.01.2023 | Released: 27.01.2023
With roots going back five years, Arctic Rain began as collaboration of songwriter/keyboardist Pete Alpenborg, guitarist Magnus Berglund, and singer Tobias Jonsson, all veterans of the Swedish music scene. Picked up by Frontiers Music on the strength of demos, Arctic Rain debuted with their album, The One in 2020. Three years on, Alpenborg has left the band to be replaced by Kaspar Dahlqvist with Richard Tonyson add as their new drummer. Arctic Rain drops their sophomore album, Unity, this month, again with Frontiers Music.
Arctic Rain
Simply, Arctic Rain aspires to give listeners essential and classic melodic hard rock ala the Eighties yet timeless. Their sound, as before, is driven by the core elements of strong and harmonious riffage, epic guitar solos, steady rock groove from the rhythm section, and memorable refrains. Jonsson continues to have a strong vocal presence, perhaps singing more assertive across this album than in the past. Of course, these things are wrapped in song melody and vocal harmony which give the songs some AOR respectability. Perhaps, again, to some ears, there may be a current of metal edge found in some songs.
Speaking to some songs and that reference, songs such as Fire In My Eyes, Kings Of the Radio, and maybe Unity could have a heavier even metal edge. Alternatively, the traditional melodic hard rock groove rises with When We Were Young, Time For A Miracle, and especially One World. Arctic Rain's softer side comes with the anthemic ballads The Road Goes On and Believe, both which feature Dahlqvist's keyboard contributions (notably piano in the latter song. All in all, with their second album, Unity, Arctic Rain continues to offer their AOR-infused, classic melodic hard rock moved by strong song melody, assertive vocals, and spirited guitar work. Recommended.
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The Take Away
With their second album, Unity, Arctic Rain continues to offer their AOR-infused, classic melodic hard rock moved by strong song melody, assertive vocals, and spirited guitar work. Recommended.
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