NUBIAN ROSE / Mental Revolution (2014)

The fact is that there was a lot of noise in the net about this release over the last months! So, I was very curious to listen to NUBIAN ROSE's newest effort. The waitin' is finally over and the last couple of days this promo is in daily basis in my CD player. The first impression was whooaa, this is really good! It's classic heavy rock stuff with some really excellent guitar lines and, most of all, it has an extraordinary singer; Sofia Lilja. Her vocals are powerful, rough and in three words : she can sing!!!

Nubian Rose was founded in 2011 by guitarist Christer Åkerlund. He knew he found a unique talent in Sofia Lilja when he first heard her sing. Her powerful voice and charismatic stage presence were something very special and meant for greatness. When they started to write music together, they knew they were on to something big and they decided to make an album. The result of that cooperation was the band's debut, "Mountain", in 2012.

To be honest, I hadn't had the chance to listen to the debut ( but I will..), but judging from this new one, I have to say that I like it a lot. Btw, "Mental Revolution" is a well-consistent album that has plenty of melodies, some really impressive guitars, a powerful sound, Sofia's stunning vocals and very good songs. The song that really grabbed me is "Higher"! A totally 80's up-tempo rocker that includes a simply fantastic melody, heavenly influenced harmonies, a catchy as hell chorus line and a guitar line to die for! "Time Again" and "Illuminated Within"  are both good rockers that feature a nice groove and an 80's vibe while "All Of Your Love" is yet another killer track. It rocks hard and Christer Åkerlund's solo is breathtaking!! Check, also, the heavier "Break Out".

Two thumbs up for this really solid release!! One of the best female-fronted albums that I've heard over this year. And one last thing....Christer Åkerlund 's guitar work is huge!!
Heavy Paradise's Rating : 8/10

Track Listing :
01. War
02. Time Again
03. Illuminated Within
04. The Eye
05. Tough Guys Don’t Dance
06. Break Out
07. Higher
08. You Will Never Walk Alone
09. (Taking This) Further
10. All Of Your Love


Produced by Christer Åkerlund
Engineerd by Jakob Herrmann
Mixed by Tobias Lindell (HEAT, Europe, Hardcore Superstar)
Mastered by Mats Lindfors (Crashdïet, Scorpions, Treat) at Cutting Room