Silver Linin

Raven: All hell's breaking loose 2023 [Digipack / CD]

Raven: All hell's breaking loose [Vinyl LP]

You can feel that heat off the Sunset Strip and see that hair in the wind as Dokken bring their timeless convertible Ferrari rock 'n' roll power to the table with Heaven Comes Down, an unapologetic celebration of everything Dokken do best. You want to rock? Sink your teeth into "Fugitive", which rides some shimmering guitar work courtesy of Jon Levin, Don Dokken imploring that "I'm a fugitive from life", and if you want ballads, head on over to "I'll Never Give Up", hanging on that Coliseum chorus, Levin laying down a landmark solo.

Never ones to take the restrained path, on their sixth studio album Memorial, Soen face down the ills and ways of current society with a crisp, wounded venom that betrays their pain, anger and frustrations. Each guitar carries a greater serrated edge, each melody a richer heart, each lyric a soul and spleen venting definitive proclamation. At the same time, Soen's unique blend of progression, aggression, and beauty shows more maturity than ever before.<br/><br/>The dovetail of melodic greatness and face-crushingly heavy guitars and rhythms on Memorial is glorious. There's the proud power-stride of "Sincere" and the sheer power of "Unbreakable", Martin Lopez's drums driving deep, the symphonic beauty of "Hollowed" (featuring guest vocals by Elisa), and the rousing roar of "Icon", with the trademark vocals of Joel Ekelöf as emotionally evocative as ever.<br/><br/>Throughout, Oleksii "Zlatoyar" Kobel's bass supplies a thick river of support, while Lars Enok Åhlund and Cody Lee Ford supply consistently dynamic, brilliant twin guitar work.<br/>Finishing with the beautiful, tragic, Pink Floyd-doused ballad "Vitals", Memorial is the result of brave, emotional, and evocative artists finding their best stride yet amidst global chaos and madness. Soen have been building up to this moment for years; now they're here, Memorial deserves universal acclaim as a truly inspired modern hard rock classic.

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