Released by: Frontiers Records

Release Date: January 26th, 2018

Genre: Hard Rock

Links: https://www.facebook.com/ammunitionofficial/

Line Up:

Erik Martensson – guitars, bass, programming, keys, backing vocals
Victor Cito Borge – bass
Jon Pettersen – guitars
Lasse Finbrathen – keyboards
Age Sten Nilsen – lead and backing vocals
Magnus Ulfstedt – drums

Tracklist:

1. Time
2. Freedom Finder
3. Virtual Reality Boy
4. Guns Ho (I Told You So)
5. Eye for an Eye
6. Tear Your City Down
7. Caveman
8. Wrecking Crew
9. Miss Summertime
10. Bad Bones
11. Klondike

When you’re band has a line-up with the pedigree of Ammunition, you’re going to expect… no demand it to be top notch. With members from acts like Wig Wam, Eclipse, Nordic Union, TNT, W.E.T., and Circus Maximus, I mean, seriously, is it possible for it to go wrong? Ammunition is the band I am speaking of, and if you’re familiar with their 2014 debut Shanghaied, then you need not read any further. Suffice it to say their s/t follow-up is going to be right up your alley. If you somehow missed that album then read on, especially if any of the aforementioned bands tickle your nipples.

Right off the bat, the matching of singer Age Sten Nilsen and Erik Martensson is a dynamic powerhouse of melodic hard rock songwriting talent as well as masters of their particular instrument. Nilsen’s voice is somewhere in the realms of a Coverdale bluesy swagger with a Jeff Scott Soto soulful delivery. Add to that the blazing licks and leads offered up by Martensson and Jon Pettersen (a veritable unknown in this collection of musicians, though soon to be a name synonymous with guitar mastery) you’ve got a sound that is the perfect mix of catchy as hell melodic hard rock with a nice layer of 80’s style hard rock flare to it to get your toe tapping and headbanging. Though tracks like “Gung Ho (I Told You So),” “Time,” “Eye For An Eye,” and “Wrecking Crew” would fit seamlessly into the heyday of the 80’s they’ve managed to make a familiar sound fresh and updated, even moments of maturity that were lost on some of the classics. This album has a slight advantage over Shanghaied in regards to it being a much more mature release, which depending on how you feel about that will be a plus or minus. Those wanting a more “fun time” sound will miss that aspect, though it is still here, just delivered with a bit of a serious approach to it.

Ammunition’s s/t sophomore release is a fantastic follow-up to a stellar album. Despite it being a little more mature in regards to the writing, it is still a wonderful album to add to your collection. Besides, with the caliber of musicians performing these excellent songs, it’s still going to entertain you, unless you’re a stick in the mud. And don’t be a stick in the mud because no one likes that. I wholeheartedly believe that if you’re a fan of kick-ass melodic hard rock, you need to have both of Ammunition’s albums to your collection.

Written by: Chris Martin