REVIEW : LAURENNE / LOUHIMO, The Reckoning (Frontiers Music s.r.l. Release: 9 July 2021)

The collaboration between Finnish vocalists Noora Louhimo (Battle Beast) and Netta Laurenne (Smackbound) created one of the most exciting musical alliances. The two ladies put together a storming and solid melodic metal album with the addition of Nino Laurenne on guitars and Sampo Haapaniemi on drums.

Netta Laurenne says about this record : "I’ve had the idea about a possible collaboration with Noora incubating for a few years. Once the pandemic started and cleared out calendars for both of us, it felt like a perfect time to reach out to Noora and start this project. She is such a talented singer who masters various styles and on top of that, simply an awesome person. We are both initially from the same town, so it feels extra special to get us, two metal singers from Tampere, working together on an album full of kick ass metal. This is also a collaboration with my husband, music producer, and guitarist (Thunderstone) Nino Laurenne, with whom I’ve written the songs for the album!”

And Noora Louhimo adds : "When Netta asked me to join in this project I was happily surprised. I had followed her as a singer for years and always admired her soulful and powerful vocals and her way of expressing herself. Now that we have gotten to know each other a bit better through this project, it's been amazing to realise how much in common we have as singers and as people" 

The new opus, "The Reckoning", is going to be released through Frontiers Music this July. 

So, the question is what do we expect from this release? The question is simple; ass-kickin', powerful and in-your-face melodic metal stuff that includes excellent performances, great and tight arrangements and tons of melodies for your daily head banging!!! 

Highlights out of "The Reckoning" are the heavy "Tongue Of Dirt", the melodic "Time To Kill The Night", the 'classic' metal anthem of "Bitch Fire" that 'smells' Judas Priest from miles away, "To The Wall", the melodic and moodier tune of "Viper's Kiss" and "Striking Like A Thunder" with its catchy hook and chorus line. 

I'm really blown away with this release; these two extremely talented and gifted ladies achieved to create a great melodic metal opus that combines perfectly the heaviness with melody, the classic metal of the 80's with today's modern metal scene and at the end the result is really smoking!!! 

Songwritting : 8

Production : 9

Musicianship : 10

Songs : 9

Overall Rating : 9 / 10