Review: Laurenne/Louhimo – ‘The Reckoning’

Okay, so who had “Frontiers Music releases one of the strongest metal albums of the year” on their 2021 bingo card? Anyone? No? With so many stellar metal albums already released in 2021, and more to follow, Frontiers, the home of melodic rock, have quietly sneaked in on the inside rail and put down one hell of a marker in the shape of the debut album from Laurenne/Louhimo.

Featuring two Finnish powerhouse vocalists, Noora Louhimo from Battle Beast, and Netta Laurenne from relative newcomers Smackbound, Laurenne/Louhimo is a match-up that was always going to happen at one time or another, and with the worldwide pandemic spoiling it for everyone – now seemed as good a time as any. Followers of Frontiers will recognise their formula at play here: take artists from different bands and put them together, then press the “record” button and sit back. It’s a formula that has stood the Italian label in good stead for some time now, but pairing Laurenne with Louhimo was a particular masterstroke and the end result (‘The Reckoning’) is rather special.

Two vocalists capable of knocking down houses with their voices, ‘The Reckoning’ is the perfect showcase for both to shine outside their day jobs, and with Netta’s husband Nino on guitars and Sampo Haapaniemi on drums, this has all the makings of a killer live act. The centrepiece of the album is the empowering ‘Bitch Fire’, and let’s be honest here, it’s going to have to take something special to dethrone it as track of the year – the fact that the year still has 5 months left is immaterial. This one is THAT good. Comparisons to Judas Priest’s ‘Painkiller’ came flooding in when the track was released earlier this year, and it’s easy to imagine Rob Halford sitting in his dressing-gown and slippers, beaming from ear-to-ear as two female vocalists from Finland belt out…”This is the bitch fire!/ They burned us at the stake/ We walked through the flames with no pain/This is the bitch fire!”. Two separate vocal styles with different pitches, setting the world alight as the insane drum work and razor-sharp riffage unleash involuntary headbanging. Sheer vitun magic (google translate at work).

The rest of the album is also pretty damn good. And from the moment that Sampo Haapaniemi’s cymbal work kicks proceedings off on opening track ‘Time to Kill the Night’, through to the final strains of closing track ‘Dancers of Truth’, the quality does not waver in the slightest. ‘Time to Kill the Night’ is melodic hard rock with enough bite to satisfy the metalheads, the title track is a fantastic mix of strong vocal hooks, catchy melodies, and Cozy Powell-like drum work – Rainbow in 2021, but with added bite? Yeah, having that. ‘Striking Like A Thunder’ has a pop-ish bounce-ability factor to it and the axe-work from Nino Laurenne constantly impresses, the dual vocals are delicious throughout – a great mix of power and fragility. The ballad ‘Hurricane Love’ is Netta’s turn to shine, and if you are familiar with Smackbounds debut album ‘20/20’ then you will enjoy this one, ‘Walk Through Fire’ is all about Noora’s rasping vocals, which, alongside Netta’s softer vocals, raise the roof.

Recording the album together in the studio has paid off handsomely as there is plenty of evidence of great chemistry between both of the main players. Loads to admire within ‘The Reckoning’, fantastic playing from the guys in the back, well-crafted songs that bring an old-school metal/heavy rock vibe to the party – shades of all eras of Rainbow here and there, at least to these ears there is, c’mon, who can’t imagine Dio throwing horns in the air during ‘Dancers of Truth’ way back on the ‘Long Live Rock & Roll’ sessions? Ultimately though, ‘The Reckoning’ is all about the powerful, and varied vocals from two of the fastest-rising vocalists on the scene today. And with the new album from Seven Spires still to come later this year, Frontiers Music might just be featuring heavily at the end of year best-of polls.

Available now, more information here.

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