Well, third time’s a charm, they say… and most of the times it’s totally accurate. That goes for “One More River to Cross”, the third full-length release by The Ferrymen, the music project that was created by Magnus Karlsson (Primal Fear, Free Fall, Allen / Lande, etc.) on guitars, bass and keyboards, Ronnie Romero (Lord Of Black, Rainbow, etc.) on vocals and Mike Terrana (Avalanch , ex-Masterplan, ex-Axel Rudi Pell, etc.) on drums.
Magnus is known for his melodic metal songwriting and he is still following his own formula which delivers the goods spotlessly. “One More River to Cross” has a more Allen / Lande feeling than the other two and picks up from where they left with “A New Evil”. It’s really amazing how Magnus can deliver a fresh sounding metal album that combines both the “old” and the “new” school together. His riffs are heavy and powerful and the melodies are simply amazing. This is exactly how melodic metal should sound like. Moreover Ronnie’s performances are amazing, and it’s no secret that he’s on the list with the top vocalists of our time. I guess Ritchie Blackmore can’t go wrong when he picks vocalists for Rainbow, huh?! Moreover, Mike is as solid as a rock behind the drum kit. The production is tight and heavy in general. Simone Mularoni (DGM, Sunstorm, etc.) did the mixing and the mastering, while Mattia Stancioiu (Crown of Autumn, Athlantis, etc.) did the additional editing and Magnus all the recordings and the album production.
“One More River to Cross” is possibly the band’s finest release to date. The musicianship is great, the songwriting is superb and the melodies are stunning. Heavy, powerful and melodic… what else can a metalhead ask for?! In case you still miss that Allen / Lande music project, I think that The Ferrymen will satisfy you to the fullest. Either way you see it “One More River to Cross” is a melodic heavy/power metal album that every metal fan should check out, in any case.
