The Finnish melodic hard rockers One desire blew me away by means of their latest effort entitled “Midnight Empire” due to the fact that it is an exhilarating and unbelievably catchy listen. Nearly every riff and melody counts, the sound is crystal clear and pristine but packs plenty of power and bombast, and the entire thing walks that fine line between being uplifting and subtly melancholic.
 

Musically, this is as cohesive and well-written as it is irresistible and energizing. Fist-pumping anthems and arena-sized rockers ala “Shadowman”, “Down and Dirty”, “Heroes”, and “Killer Queen” boast big riffs and even bigger choruses that will linger in your mind long after having finished listening to the disc. If Def Leppard and Journey churned out slightly heavier riffs and opted for more dynamic productions than they often tend to do, this ten-track offering by One Desire would be the result of just that.
 

There are more hooks present on the album than you and I can possibly wrap our tiny brain cells around and the tunes move seamlessly between the epic, the aggressive, and the more pop-oriented without losing their strong melodic flair. What about the negatives then? Well, the ballads are largely forgettable and lack atmosphere as well as haunting, heartfelt qualities. I am referring to “Through the Fire” and “Only When I Breathe” here and they are simply way too pedestrian and saccharine-sounding for yours truly.  
 “Midnight Empire” is a strong and impressive foray into melodic hard rock and is highly recommended if you are on the lookout for a confident, well-crafted opus that leans toward the 80s while simultaneously possessing a modern tone and sheen. Very cool indeed.

 

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