Neon Angel – Neon Light District

Neon Angel
Neon Light District
Sliptrick Records
September 8, 2020
37:45

The rock and metal fan clicks his tongue when Finland is mentioned. Nightwish, Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius, Lordi, Amorphis, … But there is also a lot worth hearing in the second row. Therefore, I have of course listened to the debut album “Neon Light District” of the Finnish Hard Rock band Neon Angel. The band was founded in 2016. Since then, the musicians have dedicated themselves to hard rock from the 80s. That year they managed to sign a label deal with Sliptrick Records. And the debut will be released on this label in September.

Without a long preface, the quintet rocks off. It starts with mid-tempo rocker “Another Kind Of Love”. Singer Johanna Eteläkari seems to have absorbed the essence of the eighties with her mother’s milk. Powerful, slightly snotty clear vocals. “Neon Angel” then starts a little more calmly with piano sounds and nice guitar hooks. But that’s just the calm before the storm. Here, too, the musicians tend to stay in the mid-tempo range. A memory of the great stadium rock anthems of the 80s is awakened. Fortunately, the keyboards are used extremely useful for the song. With “Love Addiction” the guitars roast first. A great Rock’n’Roll song. “Are You There?” Sounds slightly psychedelic. Quiet and contemplative. Johanna breathes into the microphone. A beautiful ballad. In contrast, the city doesn’t really sleep. With “The City Is Sleeping” the Finns rock out again. The keyboard solo fits in with this, as it were, as “Hello awake”. Another song in the style of big stadium anthems is “World On Fire”. “Night Tripper” then invites you to an exciting night trip to the “Neon Light District”. It’s loud, it’s wild. The Hammond swirls, the riffs fly around the listener’s ears. After so much power, you need a calm finish. And that comes with the second ballad “Simon”. The singer’s voice is mostly accompanied by an electric piano. Every now and then the melodic guitars sigh.

With “Neon Light District” Neon Angel have released an impressive debut. The spirit of the 80s is impressively lifted into the here and now. The album cover with the busty young rocker lady dressed in leather fits like a fist to the eye for this whole 80s feeling. I warmly recommend this album to any rock fan.

Lineup:

Johanna Eteläkari – Vocals
Tuomas Saari – Guitar
Juho Savikurki – Synth
Tomas Kurki – Bass
Johannes Lahti – Drums

Track list:

• Another Kind Of Love
• Neon Angel
• Love Addiction
• Are You There?
• The City Is Sleeping
• World On Fire
• Night Tripper
• Simon