BLACK ROSE
“A LIGHT IN THE DARK”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

8/10

Black Rose are a hard rock band from Sweden formed in 1990, releasing their debut album ‘Fortune Favours The Brave’ in 1993. A number of demo’s were released over the next decade, with ‘Black Rose’ emerging in 2002. The bands third album ‘Explode’ was released two years later. Following the release of ‘Rise Again’ in 2011, the band signed to Swedish label Doolittle Group, which resulted in the release of the bands fifth album ‘Turn On The Night’ in 2013. Black Rose have shared a stage with bands such as Nocturnal Rites, Pain Of Salvation and Mike Tramp. In 2015 a new singer joined the band, and in 2018, ‘A Light In The Dark’ was released, marking the bands twenty five year recording career.

Sweden have a long history of producing hard rock bands, a history that stretches way back to 1983, when legends Europe released their self titled debut album. Europe paved the way for many Swedish bands to follow, with Black Rose a major highlight to emerge from Sweden. Delivering hard hitting melodic hard rock, with a feel good party anthem vibe, the bands sixth studio album is a corker, and will have fans smiling from ear to ear. Launching the album in a furiously bombastic way, is the storming ‘Sands Of Time’, with new singer Jakob Sandberg, giving his all, with a high ranging throaty snarl, passionately delivering every line. The thundering rhythm will have feet stomping and heads nodding . . . Black Rose are back, and back with a bang. ‘Hear The Call’ is more melodic, more catchy, more infectious, and has overtones of the AOR genre too. A sing a long style chorus will have fans singing along excitedly, going ape over such an infectious and catchy song. ‘Hear The Call’ is a perfect mix of AOR and hard rock. You could say Black Rose are veterans of the hard rock scene, and you’d be right. Slick and professional, the band deliver their sixth album with passion and pride. ‘Carry On’ is all bluff and bluster as it mercilessly rolls on, melodic heavy rock never sounding so good.

With a sudden upturn in pace, tempo and energy ‘We Come Alive’ rockets off at speed, chugging endlessly as it romps along. Losing nothing of the albums infectiousness, the feel and vibe of ‘We Come Alive’ echoes the early days of Swedish icons Europe. Striding tall and proud, ‘We Come Alive’ has a cracking chorus line that fans all around the world are gonna screech at the tops of their voices, “we come aliiiiiiiiive”. Great stuff. Title song ‘A Light In The Dark’ is a little rougher, hitting hard with a pulsating rhythm and a slightly higher screechy vocal delivery. The sing a long ability of the chorus break is top notch and ‘A Light In The Dark’ knocks hard on the door of the heavy metal genre. ‘Web Of Lies’ is a swaggering, heavy foot stomp of savagery. If “doom rock” was a genre, then ‘Web Of Lies’ fits perfectly. Heavy riffing, a thunderously slow thud, awesome stuff from a band more noted for up tempo, energetic songs.

Time to get the party started as the most anthemic song on offer gets underway. ‘Ain’t Over Til It’s Over’ is a staggering feel good foot stomp, AOR infused melodic hard rock never sounding so good. Catchy and infectious, ‘Ain’t Over Til It’s Over’ will bring a massive smile to the faces of fans everywhere and have them energetically singing along. The energy levels rise of the scale with the emphatic thump ‘Powerthrone’. Infectious to the core, ‘Powerthrone’ is full on, in your face hard rock of the most up front nature. Ten songs in under forty minutes is shorter than most modern day albums, but what you get for your forty minutes of listening time, is well worth it. ‘Don’t Fear The Fire’ is a shuddering romp of heaviness and the heaviest offering on the album. Hitting very hard, ‘Don’t Fear The Fire’ may leave some listeners with a few bruises as it passes on by. Bringing the album to a storming close is the fastest and most heavy metal song on offer. ‘Love Into Hate’ may sound like the title to a ballad, and by the way, there are no ballads on offer here, unusual for a modern day hard rock album, but also pleasing at the same time. ‘Love Into Hate’ has buzzing guitars, a galloping rhythm and the power oozing from it is just immense, as is the sing a long style chorus. ‘Love Into Hate’ is a cracking end to a great album.

Overall, hard hitting melodic hard rock blended with AOR, Black Rose have delivered an album of catchy and infectious sing a long anthems.

TRACKLIST

Sands Of Time
Hear The Call
Carry On
We Come Alive
A Light In The Dark
Web Of Lies
Ain’t Over Til It’s Over
Powerthrone
Don’t Fear The Fire
Love Into Hate

http://www.blackrosesweden.com/
https://www.facebook.com/blackrosesweden/

This review is the property of Iron Mathew and Metal Gods TV. It is strictly prohibited to copy any part of this review, unless you have both of the parties’ permission, or are the band/record label/PR company in question. Failure to adhere to these instructions will be considered as Plagiarism and you will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

---