'Ronnie Atkins' is no stranger to the melodic hard-rock scene as he has been the singer of the Danish heavy metal band 'Pretty Maids' since its formation in 1981 (last album in 2019 'Undress Your Darkness') but also the singer of 'Nordic Union' which last album 'Second Coming' date of 2018. And it was only after 40 good and loyal service with 'Pretty Maids' that the Dane decided to release his first solo album, certainly driven by this bad news of this lung cancer and, with the help from Swedish multi-instrumentalist 'Chris Laney' who joined 'Pretty Maids' in 2016, they called on experienced melodic hard-rock artists with former 'Pretty Maids' keyboardist 'Morten Sandager', drummer 'Allan Sørensen' who joined 'Pretty Maids' in 2016, bassist 'Pontus Egberg' who participates in many projects including 'The Poodles' and 'Treat' but also distinguished guests like 'Bjørn Strid' ('Soilwork' et 'The Night Flight Orchestra'), the guitarist 'John Berg', the guitarist 'Kee Marcello', the former female singer of 'Therion', 'Linnea Vikström Egg', guitarist and singer 'Oliver Hartmann' and guitarist 'Pontus Norgren' from 'Hammerfall'. With all these beautiful people and given the circumstances, this album of 'Ronnie Atkins' takes on a whole other dimension that we feel when listening to all these melodies which give off a very special emotion and which we hope will serve of music therapy for the singer.
'One Shot' therefore offers 11 compositions all as melodic as each other and we have a great time listening to 'Real' (see video here) with its heady chorus, 'Scorpio' (see video here) and its rhythm that gives you ants in your feet, the melancholy power ballad 'One Shot' (see video above) that I added to my playlist of the best ballads 'Ballades rock/hard-rock/métal', the catchy 'Subjugated' that can recall, in a style a little more muscular, the hymns of 'Bruce Springsteen' from the 80s, or the melodic jewel 'Frequency of Love'. The second part of the album continues in the same style in a melodic hard-rock which hooks from the first chords and then, scroll 'Miles Away' filled with an endearing melancholy, two tracks in a rock FM style with dazzling guitars , 'Picture Yourself' and 'I Prophesize', 'One by One' with its resplendent choirs and to finish 'When Dreams Are Not Enough' whose addictive chorus that gives you that irresistible desire to accompany Ronnie in chorus.
In short, 'Ronnie Atkins' surrounded by a set of quality artists from the hard-rock world, released a magnificent album which touches more particularly in the circumstances that we know, and to conclude, I will remember for a long this April 2019 evening at Z7 when 'Tobias Sammet' presented his last metal opera 'Moonglow' with all the artists present animated by a single desire, to give pleasure to the few thousand spectators present during the three concerts which had been scheduled (including one added at the last minute) and, among all the singers, was present a certain 'Ronnie Atkins' who, like every concert, had given the best of himself for our greatest pleasure... | |
