Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Tungsten - Bliss (2022)

Once again, I'm in yet another attempt in reviving the heavy/power metal interest I had 10 years ago with some new bands I've discovered, thanks to a new outside-world friend of mine. I finally get the appeal of bands like Grailknights, Beast in Black, and Powerwolf, along with this interesting melodic band from Sweden...

Tungsten was formed by ex-Hammerfall drummer Anders Johansson, together with his two sons, Nick and Karl, on bass and guitar, respectively. The only unrelated member is lead vocalist Mike Andersson. The band has a heavy/power metal sound similar to HammerFall, but with more symphonic/trance influences. One song they go the folk/pirate metal route of Alestorm, and another they test out the NDH/industrial metal of Rammstein. Still, their melody is essential, as heard in their new album Bliss!

Hitting the album hard to kickstart it is the industrial-infused stomper "In the Center". You don't often get to hear heavy/power metal blended with industrial metal, but it's an incredible addition to the band's sound. The melodic "Dreamers" takes on the more folk-ish side of the sound of sounds. Anyone with creative imagination knows the journey through a forest a warrior must take to find his true love. The Rammstein-fueled "March Along" then thunders in. Unlike the more melodic songs, that one's just a straight-on industrial metal march. Nonetheless, it's great hearing this diverse experimentation. Throwing back to Anders' earlier days in HammerFall, "Heart of Rust" has the mid-tempo heavy/power metal sound that band is known for. A bombastic blast from the past!

The swift mover "Come This Way" once again has the experimental heaviness of Rammstein gone Judas Priest. The heavy/melodic blend really stomps along. The folk/pirate metal in this album, I'm not kidding about, because of the next song "On the Sea", an Alestorm-esque anthem with a chorus worth singing along to. A definite highlight and the one song from this band my outside-world friend shared that made interested in checking out this album. The title track shows the band at its darkest and heaviest. It storms through loudly, only lightening up for another singalong chorus to get the live crowd engaged. The incredible power is maintained in "Wonderland", but this time with a different twist compared to the previous track. It's a nice catchy song to almost dance along to and exemplifies what to expect from melodic heavy/power metal. And if you think there would be any more industrial metal after this, these next few songs will prove you wrong...

"Afraid of Light" lets the variation of sound expand more as practically a Celtic jig. You would never be afraid of dancing to the addictive rhythm. "Eye of the Storm" has the majesty of heavy/power metal without any additional details. Lots of upbeat energy without ever resorting into anything different. The 6-minute final epic "Northern Lights" directs everything in the album's sound front and center. It starts with a mellow intro, then makes a slow heavy buildup, leading up to none other than a thunderous hymn. This anthem closes the final curtain with all they've achieved in the album.

All in all, Bliss is a diverse journey through Tungsten's spiced-up heavy/power metal style. If you ever wanna hear all the different styles of HammerFall, Alestorm, and Rammstein combined together, look no further. After you finish listening to this album, I guarantee you'll be up to hearing it all again!

Favorites: "In the Center", "Heart of Rust", "On the Sea", "Wonderland", "Eye of the Storm", "Northern Lights"