Changes abound in the camp of Swedish outfit Thundermother since their last solid release Black & Gold. Latest singer Linnea Vikström Egg and drummer Joan Massing join veteran guitarist Filippa Nässil and bassist Majsan Lindberg on their latest sixth platter, Dirty & Divine. Never fear – the sound of the band still lives for that energetic melodic hard rock style with the right bluesy spirit that kicked things into the stratosphere, much like a lot of their heroes from the 70s and early 80s.
Swinging for the fences in more of an Irish-like boogie riff for “So Close”, one can be swept away immediately by the potent vocals Linnea possesses – hitting all the benchmark inflections and peak parts that one expects in a mid-tempo rocker. Live seasoning filters into the focused playing plus tight arrangements – fleshed out through supplementary infectious background harmonies or that key, guitar hero-ish lead break from Filippa. Arena-like chants fuel “Can’t Put Out the Fire”, while a bit more Thin Lizzy-esque elements slink into “Feeling Alright” – both examples of the power of a rhythm section that services the needs of each song through hard hitting, steady timing. When you want to hear a bit more explosive punky edge, “Take the Power” will get that job done, Linnea racing through the verses like a lioness uncaged. Of course, you’ll get an homage to AC/DC in “Can You Feel It”, a swanky effort that contains that great mixture of latter day, Highway to Hell-period Bon Scott with For Those About to Rock-era Brian Johnson times. The record maintains this uplifting, good times vibe all the way to the end of “American Adrenaline”, the drum shuffle next to another addictive main chord sequence inviting lots of audience participation, especially during the easy to ingest shout-a-long chorus. The organic tones producer Søren Andersen achieves go a long way for this material sounding lively, natural to achieve ear-pleasing longevity.
When artists express themselves in a confident, comfortable light, the results can be outstanding not only for their own career aspirations, but also for their followers/fans. Thundermother haven’t lost momentum through their lineup changes on Dirty & Divine – they just stride ahead ready to conquer the stages of the world once again.