ALBUM REVIEW: Bliss – Tungsten

In 2014, after the release of ninth record (r)Evolution, HAMMERFALL drummer Anders Johansson left the band. A prolific individual whose CV boasts work with Yngwie Malmsteen and MANOWAR, two years later he asked his sons, Nick and Karl, if they were interested in starting a new band with him. Mike Andersson was brought in as vocalist and TUNGSTEN was born. Their debut release We Will Rise arrived in 2019 to significant acclaim and this was followed up barely 12 months later by their sophomore release Tundra. Now, via Arising Empire on June 17th comes third album Bliss, the band’s darkest record to date.

At its very heart, Bliss is a no-frills symphonic metal album, with fist-pumping choruses and dripping in cheese; this time around however, there’s an edge which suggests TUNGSTEN have opened a door to a more sinister evolution in their sound going forward. That said, there’s still plenty on here that fans of the band will have grown to love about them: Dreamers toes the line between symphonic and full blown power metal with its jovial keyboard and Heart Of Rust has a touch of folk metal about it.

The double-salvo of Come This Way and On The Sea are where things go full cheddar, though – the former has a keyboard line so pop-orientated you’d be forgiven for thinking Sweden had found their entry for Eurovision 2023 a full 11 months in advance, whilst the latter stays true to its title and is quite literally a swashbuckling jaunt about the open waters that, given the popularity of the genre right now, could easily be a sea shanty if done acoustically.

With the light comes the dark, though, and TUNGSTEN are showing signs of taking their sound into the cybernetic; there’s a hefty dose of industrial metal in this album. The chugging riffs of opening track In The Center, preceded by the sound of sirens and alarms, are the first indication of a more foreboding element in the band’s future and March Along, like On the Sea, stays faithful to its title by incorporating a military stomp to the guitars, which additionally have a nu-metal tinge to them (it’s a class performance from Nick on this track; it might sound straightforward to get right, but it really isn’t).

However, the biggest sign of all is the title track – a moody synth line, crushing riff and Andersson employing a harsher side to his vocals – the repetition of the title within the lyrics has come straight out of the RAMMSTEIN play-book, but it works impressively. The album finishes with the pomp and circumstance of TUNGSTEN as they’re most known, though – final track Northern Lights is the big ballad closer it – and, indeed, most albums in the power/symphonic metal genre – requires.

TUNGSTEN have been smart – this is an excellent progression album, one that gives them the chance to evolve their sound whilst retaining their original fanbase, introduce them gradually to a new direction and pick up more in the process. If you’re in line with the likes of Anders‘ other projects mentioned above, but also SABATON, NIGHTWISH and POWERWOLF, there’s a lot to enjoy here.

Rating: 8/10

Bliss is out now via Arising Empire.

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