Kev Rowland One may not guess it from the album cover, but this is a band and not a solo project. Mind you, when the lead singer has looks as striking as Sofia Lilja then maybe it’s not surprising that she is the main feature. But before you go off thinking that this is yet another band where the female lead singer has been chosen just for her looks, take it from me she can sing, I mean she can really sing. Here is a band that has taken 80’s melodic hard rock in the style of Whitesnake, Dio, Rainbow etc and has brought it into the modern day with stunning vocals. I can just imagine her and Ronnie James swapping lines from the title track (believe it or not the lyrics include the line “the man on the mountain” – I swear I have heard something similar somewhere before). Tobias Lindell (Europe, H.e.a.t. Hardcore Superstar) has done a great job with the production, and the combination of that with strong melodic riffs and strong vocals makes this an album to savour.

Each time I play it I think the only way that it could possibly sound better would be to catch these guys in concert, but somehow I don’t think that is an option for me but if you are in Europe and have the opportunity I would urge you to grab it with both hands. Released in Sweden in June last year, it had a worldwide release in October 2012 but I have only just become aware of it. If this album doesn’t get the kudos it so richly deserves then it will be a tragedy, as anyone who enjoys good strong melodic hard rock (plus the ballad of course), with great guitarwork and musicianship throughout then this is essential. www.nubianrose.com

Time Signature Once bitten...

Genre: hard rock

Having been involved in the Swedish version of Idol (as a song coach, I think), Sofia Lilja Åkerlund's credibility had already plummeted dramatically before I even heard the debut album from her latest project, the melodic hard rock band Nubian Rose. I really, really despise shows like Idol and X-Factor, as I consider them and all they stand for to be an absolute disgrace to music as an artform. However, being the open-minded guy that I am (and knowing the Sweden has an excellent melodic hard rock scene), I decided to give the album an unbiased listen and just focus on "Mountain" as an entity of its own.

And, I must say, "Mountain" is a brilliant melodic hard rock album which combines melodic metal with AOR-tinged hard rock. The listener is treated to chucking rhythm guitars and screaming lead guitars, accompanied by a pumping bass and solid drums. Needless to say, Åkerlund has allied herself with some superbly skilled rock musicians. Some tracks, such as 'Ever See Your Face', 'Mountain', and 'Living For Tomorrow' even feature some all out classic 80s metal riffage, while 'Once Bitten' features a funky hard rocking riff. Drawing on AOR, most of the tracks feature those characteristic catchy choruses. In terms of the songwriting and musical performance, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this melodic hard rock album.

And Sofia Lilja Åkerlund, well, she is a brilliant vocalist. She has an extremely powerful voice that lends itself perfectly to hard rock. Her singing is characterized by clarity and power. She delivers the catchy chorus lines perfectly, and her voice definitely is an integral part of the Nubian Rose sound.

So, Sofia Lilja Åkerlund is 100% redeemed in my eyes. This is a brilliant melodic hard rock album, capturing the best elements from the melodic metal and hard rock of the late 80s.

Fuck Idol! Nubian Rose's brand of hard rock is what Åkerlund was made for!

Any fan of melodic metal and AOR-tinged hard rock should check "Mountain" out.