The Danish/Swedish combo that is Nordic Union recently released this expertly crafted opus of theirs entitled "Second Coming" and this is unarguably one of the year’s coolest and most memorable records regardless of style. It even surpasses the duo’s debut offering. Melodic hard rock with plenty of power and finesse to it is essentially what the ever-awesome vocalist Ronny Atkins (Pretty Maids) and the talented multi-instrumentalist Erik Martensson (W.E.T., Eclipse) offer, and their eleven new compositions are bound to blow you the fuck away. There is hardly one single riff or melody that one can not sing or hum along to and yet the album contains a sufficient number of layers and nuances to warrant repeated listens. Everything is unbelievably catchy and Atkins’ charismatic voice matches Martensson’s confident guitar playing perfectly. Although the muscular production has a modern sheen to it, the album does possess a sense of raw power, and there is absolutely no shortage of energy or passion to this one. Simply put, it sounds like a labor of love and thrilling tunes such as "Because of Us", "Walk Me Through the Fire", and "Outrun You" are riddled with guitar hooks, vocal hooks, punch, and more excitement than you can possibly imagine. There is not a shred of originality to "Second Union", but it is vibrant and infectious rock music of the highest order and that is more than good enough for yours truly. It is also a nicely varied affair and semi-ballad-like material such as "New Life Begins" and "Breathtaking" fit in perfectly.

"Second Coming" is a gorgeous hard rock album and there is no other option for you but to surrender to its huge choruses, its melodic qualities, and the fact that pretty much each track on the disc rules. Melodic rock has rarely sounded better and you can quote me on that.

 

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