NORDIC UNION – Animalistic

I fell head over heels in love with the near-flawless Second Coming (2018) by the wicked constellation that is Nordic Union as that was a fabulous slab of melodically strong and muscular hard rock that ticked all the right boxes for me. Needless to say, I was truly excited about Animalistic, the latest output by sirs Ronnie Atkins (Pretty Maids) and Erik Martensson (Eclipse, W.E.T.), and utterly curious as to whether it would be just as good and remarkable as its predecessor. I must have listened to the CD fifteen times now and I can state with utmost certainty that this spirited new barnstormer of theirs is a musical feast and a treasure trove of irresistible hooks, meaty riff, and melodies that are to die for. The act is clearly not out there to reinvent the wheel but rather to provide the listener with an unashamedly catchy rock album that embodies everything that made so many of us fall in love with the hard rock/heavy metal genre back in the day. The production is absolutely massive and akin to a wall of sound capable of bulldozing a concrete building. There is little point in singling out album highlights as there are no weak or pedestrian compositions to be found here, but if forced I would probably list the heartfelt ‘In Every Waking Hour’ and the invigorating ‘King for a Day’.

As much as I respect and admire Atkins’ work with the legendary Pretty Maids, Animalistic is a career highlight of his along with the solo output One Shot (2021) from my perspective. In short, if hard rock and heavy metal get your juices flowing and a kick up the ass, you ought to devour Nordic Union’s riveting new album ferociously. Should you refrain from doing so, you will forever be a tit.