Thy Row – Unchained

Thy Row
Unchained
Rockshots Records (EU/NA) / Rubicon Music (Japan)
September 24^th, 2021
Playing time: 44:56

A new Metal band from Finland. Although, Thy Row are not that new anymore. The band was founded in 2017. Singer Mikael Salo is known from bands like Everfrost or Metal De Facto. Two years later, the self-titled debut EP was released. It was the ticket to a Japan tour supporting Beast In Black and Swallow The Sun. For the recording of the debut album “Unchained”, well-known Finnish guest musicians could be won. On the album, the musicians tell their own story of how Thy Row became a band. Many of the tracks deal with the personal themes of the band members.

It’s nice to hear an album without an intro again. The opener “Road Goes On” reminds me a little of the heavier numbers by Axel Rudi Pell. With the difference that Axel makes the guitar sound on his own. Singer Mikael Salo can convince from the beginning. Also “The Round” shows itself in the classic Hard Rock style. But here the singer sounds a bit rougher. In addition, there is a super guitar solo. The Finns also show no signs of being tired with the title track “Unchained”. The song starts with high metal screams. Well, the twin guitars fit like a glove. The anthemic midtempo rocker “Horizons” is also convincing. A little later, the musicians fire up yet another hymn with “Just Fine”. The beautiful power ballad provides a short breather before the three-movement opus “The Downfall” provides a glorious and epic conclusion to the regular part of “Unchained”. What follows, at least in my promo, is a bonus track for the Japanese edition. I didn’t know the band X Japan before. So I also heard the song “Blue Blood” here for the first time. The sound is a bit of a contrast to the rest of the album. This is pure high-speed metal. For comparison, I listened to the original, which sounds a bit rougher but also duller. Conclusion: I like the cover better.

Thy Row can fully convince me on their debut. A modern, fat production, recorded by very good musicians. With “Unchained”, the Finns bring a lot of colours into Power Metal. More of this please! This is listening fun from the first to the last minute.

THY ROW – Road Goes On: https://youtu.be/9ao1aowLFRA

Lineup:

Mikael Salo – Vocals
Jussi Laulainen – Guitar
Ville Vase – Guitar
Juho Jokimies – Bass
Teemu “Snake” Laitinen – Drums

Album Guests:

Ben Varon (Oceanhoarse, ex-Amoral)
Ilja Jalkanen (Raskasta Joulua, ex-Kiuas),
Teemu Mäntysaari (Wintersun, Smackbound)

Track list:

• Road Goes On
• The Round
• Unchained
• Horizons
• Hidebound
• Just Fine
• Down On My Knees
• The Downfall, Part 1- Killing All Inside
• The Downfall, Part 2- Beyond Reason
• The Downfall, Part 3- Fragments Of Memory
• Blue Blood (X Japan cover) – Japan Release