Neptune - The Rebirth (2022)

Unleashing nearly 20 minutes of catchy old-school Heavy Metal, today we have Sweden’s Neptune and their EP “The Rebirth”. After releasing some demos in the 80’s, this outfit came back in 2017 and you can instantly tell they have a certain vintage to their sound, making them pretty retro (but in a cool way). If you are a fan of the more direct and straightforward Heavy Metal from the past minus the glam and flamboyance, this release should interest you.

Opening with “Enemies”, Roland Alexandersson vocals shine with a timeless style that nicely fits the engaging music. The production focuses on razor-sharp guitars alongside soaring vocal lines, allowing the band’s sound to be catchy and effective. On “Ready to Fight” the band starts with a different tempo, giving some vibes similar to Dio’s “Holy Diver” meets Hammerfall. The soaring guitar solos are quite well crafted, and while not extremely technical, fit the music just right.

Just as the release warms up, “Protector” is one of the release’s best tracks with a very catchy tempo, particularly those extra keyboards that shake things up a bit. It is important to add extra elements as some older Heavy Metal lacked diversity, but not this EP. Closing with the excellent “Hard to Be Right”, the album nicely progresses and ends on a high note. Neptune is a capable band that has managed to craft four engaging tracks for any fan of the genre. So make sure to keep an eye out for these guys.

Label: Self-Released

Release: February 5th, 2022

Genre: Heavy Metal

Country: Sweden