THUNDEROR
“Fire It Up”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

9/10

Thunderor are a heavy metal band from Canada formed in 2020 by (current and former) Skull Fist members JJ Tartaglia (drums, vocals, keyboards) and Johnny Nesta (guitars) – the line up completed by bass player Oscar Rangel (Mortifex) for the bands debut album ‘Fire It Up’ (released in 2022).

Featuring the iconic swagger of eighties metal and rock, Thunderor take the sounds of bands such as Judas Priest, Manowar, Ozzy Osbourne and Journey (yes that’s right, American rockers Journey) adding in pop elements and an incredible catchy sing-a-long vibe, to deliver an album of infectious and incredibly memorable songs…

…the band firing up the new album with the title song ‘Fire It Up’, Thunderor quickly into their stride, planting their “foot on the monitor” to gallop forth ala the classic style of traditional heavy metal. The infectious level ‘Fire It Up’ (the song) oozes is phenomenal, every listener everywhere sitting up to take notice of a band having fun and thoroughly enjoying themselves! And enjoy you will too, ‘How We Roll’ raising the infectious level even higher – a hint of hard rock entering the fray! Thunderor are hitting much harder here, the ground shuddering under the weight of ‘How We Roll’, the band punching harder than every single world champion boxer ever! Yet an insanely immense melodious streak has run right through the heart of the opening double salvo, the Canadian three piece proudly straddling the genres of heavy metal and hard rock – coming down hard in metal territory for the pulsating ‘All Or Nothing’. And a level of head bang ability that’s just shot through the fucking roof – ‘All Or Nothing’ the most head bang-able song heard so far! And we’re only one third of the way through the album!

And for the first time since the album began, the Journey influence makes an appearance, ‘Dangerous Times’ rocking like it’s the nineteen eighties all over again – the band delivering a metal edged AOR listening experience that spans multiple genres of music! Mostly rock ones though, although there’ll be some pop fanatics turning their heads in the direction of ‘Dangerous Times’ such is its very wide appeal. Thunderor don’t give a damn about borders, boundaries, or limits – they’re all there to be broken, the band breaking through ’em all with consummate ease, powering on with the self titled ‘Thunderor’. And an electrifying increase in speed, ‘Thunderor’ roaring on with tonnes of energy and oomph to bang the head of every single metalhead in the world. Thunderor have their feet firmly rooted in heavy metal territory here, bringing a very strong old school gallop to the fore, with every metal traditionalist everywhere grinning from ear to ear. And from a gallop to a trot, the band march on with the mid tempo, yet highly energetic ‘On The Run’, the album maintaining an unbroken level of intensity to keep every listener, fan and follower intently hooked!

‘Fire It Up’ (the album) has been a non stop roller coaster of hard rocking heavy metal, every song appealing equally to both metallers and rockers, Thunderor crafting a genre hopping album of incredible stature – ‘Into The Storm’ a one and a half minute guitar led instrumental that builds to a crescendo and then BOOM! ‘We Can Make It’ crashes the party with a bombastic barrage of every style Thunderor have in their locker, the majestic mid tempo march maintaining the unstoppable melodious streak running right through the heart of the album – an album that comes to a close with the mellowest song on offer ‘Cold Tears’. Dropping all the pace and power heard up to this point, Thunderor take off on a tangent to deliver a stroll through hymn-like balladry – for the first three and a half minutes anyway! And then a mighty metal foot stomp takes over as ‘Cold Tears’ strides purposefully on to a conclusion.

Overall, a sparkling array of hard rocking heavy metal, fully head bang-able, immensely infectious and a hundred percent attractive.

TRACKLIST

Fire It Up
How We Roll
All Or Nothing
Dangerous Times
Thunderor
On The Run
Into The Storm
We Can Make It
Cold Tears

https://thunderor.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ThunderorOfficial/

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