Rozario – ‘Northern Crusaders’

Heavy Metal

Pride And Joy Music

Release Date – February 20th, 2026

Review By Smudge Smith

Thanks to my partner in metal, Adrian Hextall, I have been subjected… er, I mean, introduced to all things power metal, and I have to say I am thoroughly enjoying the experience. It takes me back to my teenage years, where I could let my hair down and enjoy the fantasy angle. Wizards, wolves, tales of battles and heroes. Cinematic images and songs to pump your fist and bang your head to. Rozario has given me all that in twelve fabulous, thunderous songs.

‘Fire And Ice’ starts with a vicious razor-sharp riff, and the power vocals come straight in from David Rosario. They don’t hang about getting to the chorus, which is the first of many chest-beating anthems. A blinding twin guitar melody from Stein Hjertholm and new kid Taran Lister starts ‘We Are One’, and again it gets to the point quickly and allows both Hjertholm and Lister licence to fill and noodle between the verses. Things get proper heavy on ‘Down Low’, which brings a touch of Judas Priest and is driven along on a tight rhythm from bassman Anders Halsan Engum and drummer Per Helge Bruvoll. There’s some more white-hot axework too, but they don’t overplay it. ‘Free Forever’ has an Accept vibe with a heavy-hitting bassline before the epic metal of ‘Crusader’ with another pounding bassline and Rosario showing his range as the guitars give it large on the twin harmonies again. ‘Coming Home’ is a power metal banger; make no mistake, then ‘Die Like Warriors’ brings the battle metal on some simple lines that build into the operatic. Jeez, this is going to be huge live! ‘Until The Gods Are Calling’ rips it up in fine style until a superb slab of melodic punch-up metal, then ‘Sleepless’ opens with a huge dose of chug and some synths before it settles into a ballad of sorts before they open up on the chorus. Talk about power metal! It’s back to the classic thunder on ‘The Warning’ before the modern sounds of ‘Haunted By The Past’, where drummer Bruvoll drives it along. Final Cut’s ‘Betrayed’ has an almighty groove that gets your hips thrusting. Talk about simple but effective.

I cannot stop playing this. You know when an album is good when you continue to hear different things every time you play it. The sounds on this are incredible, right up front with everything crystal clear and harmonious. Massive credit to producer Trond Holter (if you didn’t know, he’s the guitarist from Wig Wam). Power Metal/Heavy Metal/Melodic Metal – whatever. If you like metal, then get this because it’s got everything you would want wrapped up in a tidy package.

Track List –

Fire And Ice

We Are One

Down Low

Free Forever

Crusader

Coming Home

Die Like Warriors

Until The Gods Are Calling

Sleepless

The Warning

Haunted By The Past

Betrayed