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Tundra
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Tundra |
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| Tungsten are a melodic metal band from Sweden formed in 2016 by drummer Anders Johansson (ex HammerFall, ex Yngwie J Malmsteen's Rising Force), releasing their debut single 'We Will Rise' in 2019, with the bands debut album, (also titled) 'We Will Rise' released later the same year. 'Tundra' is the bands sophomore album and was released in 2020. | ||||||
| 'We Will Rise' (the album) was an electrically charged storm of heavy hitting metal anthems - 'Tundra' is much more of the same, but offers a bit more variety than its predecessor. There's metal, symphonic metal, speed metal, and touches of the anthemic and glory thrown in too. Tungsten are still growing as a band, pushing their musical boundaries as they lock and load for a second, fairly explosive outing - the album kicking into life with the storming 'Lock And Load'. Very heavy hitting and highly melodic, 'Lock And Load' is a thunderous cacophony of heavy metal with touches of the symphonic, epic, and glory styles thrown in for good measure. Second song up is 'Volfram's Song', a more mid tempo offering, but just as varied as the albums opener. | ||||||
| And Tungsten, after just the opening double, are showing their softer side of heavy metal, a slow build up if you like to the faster pace they have previously performed at. Continuing the build up is 'Time', a majestic and infectious march of addictiveness with a sense of glory surrounding it. The hymn like delivery is atmospherically operatic, a bit like one of the big numbers performed at an opera. You know, the one that stands out from the rest and gets the audience all worked up. Pace slows to an anthemic stomp as 'Divided Generations' hits like a wrecking ball at its devastating best. 'Divided Generations' is up there with many other anthemic stomps from bands such as Powerwolf and Sabaton. Regal sounding and packing a fairly weighty punch, 'King Of Shadows' is a melodic heavy hitter. And I get the sense that Tungsten are reigning in the faster pace, keeping to a speed that bridges the gap between the metal and rock genres, and by doing so their music is opened to a whole new audience. The title song 'Tundra' is the heaviest song so far on the album, packing a meaner punch than everything that has gone before. Adding a highly infectious and sing a long chorus, the title song is memorable for all the right reasons. | ||||||
| 'Paranormal' is a slower tempo swagger, a melodic hard rock effort that stands just outside of the metal zone. And remaining outside the metal zone, Tungsten get dangerously near power ballad territory with 'Life And The Ocean'. All mellow and soulful, 'Life And The Ocean' will have a few raise their lighters to it, but for me it just doesn't warrant lighters. And just when I thought the band were not gonna let all hell break lose and deliver a single song with blistering pace, 'I See Fury' steams in and gallops along furiously. Mixing aggression with the overall melodic tone of the album, 'I See Fury' highlights the bands savage side, and shows the kinda pace that brings proper head banging to the fore. 'This Is War' maintains the albums upturn in pace and aggression, even sounding a little like the pirate metal style. With both feet planted in the heavy metal genre, the chorus is highly infectious, and definitely sounds like a sea shanty sing a long. The final song 'Here Comes The Fall' is dowsed in the symphonic power metal genre. Galloping hard, 'Here Comes The Fall' is catchy and infectious, sing a long able, and a cracking end to a solid album. | ||||||
| Overall, a mostly mid paced and mid tempo romp, Tungsten return with a melodic, majestic metal march. | ||||||
| Review by Iron Mathew Collins | ||||||
| Reviewed for Metal Gods TV | ||||||
| Other Reviews | ||||||
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| We Will Rise (single) | ||||||
| "a bombastic blast of heavy metal, heavily whetting appetites for the bands forthcoming album - September 20th 2019, remember the date..." Read Review | ||||||
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| We Will Rise | ||||||
| "a power metal thunderstorm of heavy hitting anthems with touches of the symphonic and thrash metal styles weaved in" Read Review | ||||||
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| Bliss | ||||||
| "a wide and varied musical journey, Tungsten surprise and shock with their most diverse work to date" Read Review | ||||||
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| The Grand Inferno | ||||||
| "an immensely elegant and majestic march of melodic symphonic power metal featuring more styles than at a Paris fashion week" Read Review | ||||||
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