More and more HQ melodic metal coming our way towards the end of 2022, this time directly from Sweden, and the band is called Wildness, Resurrection is their 3rd studio release and the first under a mayor record label. The AOR Heaven years are over and Erik Modin, founding member, drummer, and main composer, needs to reiterate that he and his band are up to greater things and deliver their best music yet… and he does, and they do. The lineup is comprised of the Erik Modin on drums, Erik Forsberg on lead vocals, Marcus Sjösund on bass, and Adam Holmström and Pontus Sköld on guitars. There’re also some guest appearances from vocalists Danny Rexon (Crazy Lixx), Hank Erix (Houston), Ludvig Turner (Reach), and Dani Hart.
The album opens with the rocker “Nightmare” and from that moment and going forward is one hook after another, every single song sounds like a hard rock anthem, stadium/arena rock at its best, powerful sin-a-long choruses, catchy and memorable melodies, great guitar riffing and soloing, and a tight and powerful rhythmic section. There are a couple of hit-single material like the songs “Tragedy”, “Love Resurrection”, and “Best of Me”, then we find the more powerful and heavy songs like and “Release The Beast” and “The Final Fantasy”, and my personal favorites “The One and Only”, “Fading Sun”, and “Eternity Will Never Fall”, a trio of songs that deserve more cautious and careful listening to skim the apparent simpleness and discover the great songwriting beneath. “Dawn of Forever” is a classic Hard Rock/AOR slow builder ballad, not my cup of tea but it has all the ingredients to become a deep cut in the future. “Lonely Girl” is for me the weakest song on the album, too Journey-sounding but never as good, just forgettable. But ten out of eleven songs in the album are very good and enjoyable, a solid record, a album that can easily be played anytime, anywhere, and with any type of crowd. Cheers.
Track Listing:
- Nightmare (4:30)
- Release the Beast (3:40)
- Tragedy (3:18)
- Love Resurrection (4:33)
- Best of Me (3:56)
- The Final Fantasy (4:16)
- Lonely Girl (4:39)
- The One and Only (3:48)
- Fading Sun (4:52)
- Dawn of Forever (4:17)
- Eternity Will Never Fall (5:50)