Review ANETTE OLZON ‘Strong’

Anette Olzon is known from her days fronting Finnish symphonic metal powerhouse Nightwish. The Dark Element is another moniker closely connected to her and it was in 2014 when the Swedish singer released with ‘Shine’ a first solo album.

After ‘Shine’ it is ‘Strong’ that represents the second solo album from Olzon, an eleven songs featuring longplayer. ‘Strong’ isn’t only the title of the new album, the songs are strong too. Things became a bit harder over the last years and songs like ‘I Need to Stay’, with all the catchiness in place, feature some growls too.

One reason for the increased level of heaviness could be due to the fact of the singer working on the new material together with guitarist and producer Magnus Karlsson. The latter is known for forging songs that built on melody and metallic shining riffs, assets that come back on ‘Strong’, song as well as album.

Furthermore, the album got a modern expression and has a very solid entertainment factor. On the other hand, if you are looking for something new or get existed by unexpected turns, this album might not be the one you are looking for. Instead, one gets a well-crafted musical treat that unfolds its melodic charm right away without drowning in cliché.