Review S.O.R.M ‘Under My Skin’

S.O.R.M is a Swedish band with a foundation date that goes back to 2017. Shorty after having started as a band the guys released with ‘Hellraiser’ a first EP. Rooted in rock and metal the trio has certainly listened more than once to bands like W.A.S.P.. The later come to my mind while listening to the opener of the S.O.R.M debut album.

‘Hellride’ kicks off an album that refers partly to some 80s metal. In a way, Blackie Lawless delivered the blueprint for a song like ‘Hellride’ and also ‘Shotgun Johnny’ brings some of these crosslinks to the plate. One factor for all this are the vocals of Micke Holm.

And there is ‘Too Hot For Your Love’ that has a pumping beath, that also could come from the earlier Mötley Crüe while it is Dee Snider guitarist Nick Petrino who added some parts to ‘Die For My Rock’n’Roll’.

The essence of hard rock music is mirrored by ‘Ready to Fly’, a song that follows ‘In Peace’. The latter starts with an acoustic intro and evolves to half-ballad that can’t keep the standards the first songs of this release set. This goes also for the second half of the album, when guys step away from the 80 influences and wander through all kinds of genres, culminating in a song called ‘Crash and Burn’ that feels like a scattered blend various inspiration.

‘Under My Skin’ is standard hard rock album. There are a few good, although not very innovative songs, kicking off this debut before things turn into off the shelve standards.