You can now add Modern Hard Rock to the list of what Sweden excels at.

From the opening beautiful angelic voices from a child choir to the harsh modern riffs that propel opener and second single 'We Will Never Die', there's that knowing belief that here is an album that's going to deliver; and deliver it does... in spades! Blending modern American Metal with their European Hard Rock roots, Days Of Jupiter have a certain uniqueness for a Swedish band, although fellow countrymen Dynazty could be the closest comparison in terms of a heaviness mixed with melody.

DOJ consists of the dynamic throaty raw melody of vocalist Janne Hilli, the cutting guitar maelstrom of Jörgen Hallström and Marcus Lindman, the throbbing bass of Janne Karlsson and the powerhouse drumming of Magnus Larsson – these guys having been the stable line-up since 2013, and the same players from their last (sophomore) album, 2015's 'Only Ashes Remain'.

The first single, the de facto title track 'Awakening', is a heavy, crushing, raw power pile-driver that makes you sit up and take notice, especially with its powerful message about searching for world peace. In fact, the song-writing by the band is intelligent and profound, concentrating on human relationships, emotional scarring and politics. 'If I Were God', for example, delivering a powerful message about the tragedy of being unfaithful, with a searing melodic guitar refrain combining with the dark rhythm and impassioned vocals that raise it to a glorious level.

The profound lyrics of the epic heavy ballad 'You Can't Erase Me' offer a haunting reminder of where I stood many years ago. 'Inglorious' deals with beautiful pain and has the same melody-infused heavy riffing, driving force and energy that saturates this amazing album; not a single song remotely comes close to being a "filler". There are so many great songs on this album, featuring interesting arrangements and cool vocalising in a lower register, such as 'Favorite Waste' (yes, American spelling) and the urgent 'Insane', alongside clever tempo changes as found on 'I Am Stone'.

This band is exceptional, with superb song-writing, fabulous melodies, powerful riffs backed up by a killer rhythm section, and a vocalist dripping with pure, raw emotion. They've also helped to produce it, so have got the sound they were looking for too. You can now add Modern Hard Rock to the list of what Sweden excels at!

Carl Buxton