BAND – NIGHTHAWK ALBUM – SIX THREE 0

REVIEWER – GRAEME WRIGHT

If there was an Olympic Games for Melodic Rock then Sweden would take home the majority of the Gold medals without question. For some reason, the ability to produce this kind of music seems effortless to the Swedes, and the new record from Nighthawk is no exception. It’s a superbly performed, majestic and bombastic slice of AOR heaven containing ten original tracks of the highest order and one top notch cover version. Melody is king here, and all the songs are really immediate and beautifully performed and sung, while the real ace in the hole is the keyboard work that stretches right across the record. It’s a real tip of the hat to seventies style Deep Purple and eighties era Rainbow with a modern day production twist that supplements the high quality of the other musicians perfectly.

Opener ‘Hard Rock Warrior’ will give you a good idea of what to expect. It belies its generic song title with a snappy yet unfussy production style, a pounding pace and a catchy and immediate tempo and chorus. It’s a good song but the album really kicks in to gear with ‘Wrong Side Of Desire’, which is a rip-roaring pulse pounder which pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the album. ‘Home Tonight’ is a great song with another huge chorus and a pitch perfect vocal from Björn Strid on this occasion, with that keyboard again setting things off perfectly. ‘Angel Of Mine’ keeps the Pomp flag flying with more than a hint of ‘Down To Earth’ era Rainbow about it.

‘Can’t Say Goodbye’ is another high point from an album that is full of highs with no lows, while ‘I Am The Night’ hits the ground running and thunders along like a runaway train. ‘Losing My Mind’ kicks in with a banging drum beat before segueing into brilliant and intricate harmonies which again prove that this band are more than a little technically gifted with the ability to write truly great Metal for the masses. ‘Too Good To You’ has another huge keys opening and an almost Boston style operatic support vocal with yet another big build up to an intense chorus. ‘Cut You Loose’ has an almost heavy bluesy feel to it with more than a hint of Purple while penultimate track ‘Turn To You’ is a big ballad that is beautifully performed and sung.

The album closes with a very apt cover version of ‘Man On The Silver Mountain’ which is heavier and faster than the original and is an excellent take on an old classic, with Björn really letting rip vocally while Robert Majd thrashes his guitar like there’s no tomorrow. All in all this is a pitch perfect Melodic Metal album, one of the finest of the year so far and a great throwback to a period when Metal ruled the airwaves. My very highest recommendation, if you lean towards the more melodic side of things this one is a no brainer.

BAND

Robert Majd – Guitar

Björn Strid – Vocals

John Lönnmyr – Keyboards

Magnus Ulfstedt – Drums

Rasmus Ehrnborn – Bass

ALBUM TRACK LIST

1. Hard Rock Warrior
2. Wrong Side Of Desire
3. Home Tonight
4. Angel Of Mine
5. Can’t Say Goodbye
6. I Am The Night
7. Losing My Mind
8. Too Good To You
9. Cut You Loose
10. Turn To You
11. Man On The Silver Mountain