ANGEL HEART – Angel Heart (2018)
From the land of icy waters and snowy woods, beautiful Norway, a new band emerges from the dust and ashes of projects past. This band is called ANGEL HEART, and they are poised to Rock their way into your hearts with a full-length self-titled debut CD consisting of nine songs which aim to revive the classic melodic hard rock and classic metal of old.
Angel Heart were formed in 2011 by three ex members of the very interesting band Highland Glory; Lars Andre Larsen, female vocalist Trine Elise Johansen and Morten Faerovig. After ten years with Highland Glory and three album releases, they felt it was the right time for a change, adding bass player Oystein Aaseby Pedersen to the band to become a four piece… And so Angel Heart was formed, with the bands self titled debut album released in tomorrow.
Playing an Euro melodic hard rock style, blended with AOR touches and classic ’80s melodic metal, Angel Heart are a breath of fresh air. Bombastic album opener ‘Burning Desire’ is quickly into its stride, marching on at a midtempo pace, full of energy and infectious grooves, with an immense and majestic vocal performance a little Dio feeling.
Anthemic melodic hard rock comes with ‘Run Away With Me’, delivered with intensity and full steam of ’80s wizardry and mysticism that was so prevalent with acts such as Rainbow. Big chunky riffs, majestic melodies, and an amazing, very powerful vocal performance, Angel Heart have delivered a brilliant song.
It is track three, “I Don’t Need Love”, where Angel Heart truly defines to the listener who they are and manage to plaster themselves on that illustrious wall which contains the long and varied history of classic rock / metal. This song boasts that true Norwegian feeling, its ballad-like tempo painted in acoustic strings and elongated power chords that envelop you like a freezing wind upon the barren, white landscape.
In fact, the entire album continues in this fashion, every track gaining in intensity and scope where the last one left off.
With songs like the bombastic “Forever Free”, “She Is Strong” and the epic “My Spirit Will Live On” the band showcases their varied influences with a classic Euro sound yet updated to current times, via powerful melodies and catchy grooves capturing your senses, to give you that tingly feeling all over.
“Rock Friends” is a break for fun and easy melodic hard rock with catchy choruses, while ‘Worth The Wait’ packs an arena-ready feel and shouts to be played live.
“Sailing Against The Wind” brings the album to a close in a big way. Over seven minutes of epic and glorious midtempo-tension filled melodic hard rock.
Angel Heart sounds and feels like an ’80s band, and their debut takes equal parts of classic melodic hard rock and melodic metal, the kind of now called ‘classic rock’. It’s also unmistakable Scandinavian, like taking a listening to an old friend LP, with very well crafted atmospheres.
A really enjoyable album, and a promising act for the scarce female fronted scene.
Highly Recommended
01 – Burning Desire
02 – Run Away with Me
03 – I Don’t Need Love
04 – Forever Free
05 – She Is Strong
06 – My Spirit Will Live On
07 – Rock Friends
08 – Worth the Wait
09 – Sailing Against the Wind
Trine Elise Johansen – Vocals
Oystein Aaseby Pedersen – Bass
Lars Andre Larsen – Keyboards, Guitars
Morten Faerovig – Drums
BUY IT !
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