From the metallically fertile landscapes of Sweden comes the three piece Hero. Thier newest album Immortal showcases a melodic, yet melancholy sound with lots of mid-tempo, double-kick headbanging passages and sweeping, ambient ballads. The sound is somewhat unique in the way it combines it’s influences. It’s got the tight guitar sound and epic keyboard layers of, say, Everygrey blended with the somber, depressing melodic hooks of latter day Sentenced.

The opening/title track is a perfect example of this blending of influences. It’s got an almost Prog Metal feel about it, but the melodies are all very somber and dark. “Gasoline” calls to mind Ozzy Osbourne’s most recent couple of albums in both the riffing (complete with Zakk Wylde squeals) and the chorus hook. Vocally, the band employs a deep, smooth baritone which, in places, give the album an almost Gothic feel. “Funeral Of Death” is a good example of this, almost resembling some of H.I.M.’s heavier moments. Ballad “Imagine This” is comprised mostly of keyboard swells and vocals, with an ever so subtle clean guitar line in the background. The vocals in this one really deliver the sadness. The same can be said for the other ballad “When November Falls”, although the acoustic guitars carry this one more than the keys. “Blood Red Roses” and “R.I.P.” are both solid Metal tunes as well, keeping in with the dark theme of the album.

One song that really stands out from the rest of the album is “Rock The World”. There are a couple of reasons for this, not the least of which being the incredibly cheesy title. The vibe on this track is…happy? I mean “happy-happy”…like something Stryper would have done back in MTV’s glory days. In this setting, the low range vocals sound strange. This song does not fit the album in any way, shape or form.

Overall, I have to say there are some very cool moments on this album. I do wish that they would have left off “Rock The World”, but the other cuts make up for this glaring mistake. You can always delete that song from the iPod or skip it in the car. Otherwise, this is a good set of dark, melodic Metal songs…check it out.

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