Final Strike is a new Swedish metal band formed by well-known musicians who have been in the scene for a long time and know exactly what they wanna accomplish and how to do it. Fronted by the charismatic vocalist Christian Eriksson (ex-Twilight Force and ex-NorthTale), the rest of the band consists of Patrick Johansson (Clockwork Revolution, Impellitteri, NorthTale, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen) on drums, Jimmy Pitts (Equipoise, Eynomia, NorthTale, NYN, The Fractured Dimension) on keyboards, Martin Floberg on guitars, and Jan Ekberg (Air Raid, Stormhold) on bass.
“Finding Pieces”, the band’s debut release, is a power metal album that’s very melodic and has various heavy metal elements that make the final outcome even more complete. The band is influenced by legendary groups such as Helloween, Statovarius, and Gamma Ray, among others. All the performances are superb, but what sets this album apart from others in the genre are the exceptional melodies. Almost every song has a catchy chorus that makes you want to sing along. Moreover, the production is full, dynamic, and clear. The album was mixed & mastered by the eminent producer Jonas Kjellgren (Sabaton, Amorphis, Scar Symmetry, Carnal Forge, etc.) at Black Lounge Studios in Sweden, and it was produced by the band and Jonas.
From the very first track, the ultra-catchy “Archers”, the band establishes itself as a formidable force. “Finding Pieces”, “Freedom”, “Heaven’s Falling Down”, “Oblivion”, “Restless Mind”, “To the North”, and “Turn of the Tide” are some of my favorite songs, although there are no weak tracks on this album.
“Finding Pieces” is an impressive debut album that exceeds the standards of power metal fans. Final Strike have firmly established themselves as a rising force in the power metal scene. Now it is up to them to live up to their expectations. If you really fancy melodic power metal, “Finding Pieces” is an album not to be missed.
