THUNDERMAKER - The Road [2021] (Digipak) Sliptrick Records

Here's some samples of what the critics say about the new album "The Road":

 

"The central concept to the album is the journeys that we all take in life, the decisions we make and the connections we make with others along the way and Gummesson tells this tale through his expressive lyrics, once again, you can buy into the concept or simply sit back and enjoy the music as, ultimately, the choice is yours.

I certainly feel that there is far more cohesion on the new album and the song writing seems clearer and much more in focus with the guest singers adding their own particular identities to the songs and collectively they all do work together very well.

Marty Gummesson plays some pretty neat guitar throughout the album with the quality singers each bringing their own spark of magic to the project to make a thoroughly enjoyable and totally hard rock album to savour. Come on, let’s face it, if you can call on the favours of Ronnie Munroe, Lars-Göran Petrov, Rille Larsson and Tim Owens then you are doing something right in the world of rock and the fact that there is such a contrast between them, paradoxically, unites the work rather than divides it.

The Road is a rock album with much to recommend and it is always nice to hear singers doing something different than their day jobs"

~ Terry Craven, velvetthunder.co.uk

 

"Swedish band Thundermaker is out with the album "The Road", and this is a production for metal fans to take note of. It is a majestic variety of the form that is explored here, with massive and majestic guitar riffs leading the way and where the main vocalists featured have a slightly raspy, powerful but also melodic style and orientation.

Floating keyboard textures adds a slight symphonic quality to some of the songs, and provides a more elegant contrast to the chugging, beefy guitar riffs that otherwise dominate the instrument department. A production that should find most favor among those with a strong affection for an 80's variety of majestic and mainly mid-paced heavy metal"

~ The Viking in the Wilderness

 

"The third album of the Swedish traditional heavy metal band project 'THUNDERMAKER' shows how classic heavy metal is staged productively. Instead of support from IRON MAIDEN, CRIMSON GLORY and ALICE COOPER band members, THUNDERMAKER brought in ex-METAL CHURCH singer Ronny Munroe, ex-JUDAS PRIEST /ICED EARTH vocal cord tormentor Tim "Ripper" Owens, Rille Larsson and Lars Göran Petrov ( ENTOMBED, RIP- 2021) on board.

It remains to be said that the record is a heavy metal release from Sweden that is just barely in the 7 range (not exceeding it) with the support of a guest vocalist team, who did their job in a concentrated and really passionate way, which gives the compactly produced album spice, however, rivulets of exaggerated pathos often trickle by. Due to a qualitatively strong first half of the album, which the second half could not counter too much, the following is ultimately...

Conclusion: Long-winded traditional metal release from THUNDERMAKER, for a fan clientele somewhere between DIO/RAINBOW, JUDAS PRIEST/METAL CHURCH. 7/10"

~ ffm-rock.de

 

"The Road" is a creation with ten pieces, one of which is instrumental. It moves at moderate speeds, without any guitar emphasis on catchy riffs and without complicated and talkative solos. Musically he presses on solid and solid bass lines and his heavy sound makes the compositions sound loud.

The feature of this album is the charismatic voices that are heard in its contents. It is a singing party of the guests who really give their best. In "The Road", "Broken Promises", "A Twin Flame Journey" and "1111" we hear the voice of Ronny Munroe who is known to have been a singer of Metal Church while in "Fire Burns Forever" and "The Runner And The Chaser" the great Tim "Ripper" Owens makes the windows rare with his crowns. In "Symbiosis" and "Where Sorrow Dwells" the voice of Rille Larsson is heard while the emblematic voice of the late LG Petrov of Entombed AD is heard in the song "Fake".

With brief auditions we have in our hands a pleasant work in which we are happy to listen to the torches that sing and to read the lyrics that are written and sewn in our lives"

~ rockway.gr

 

"THUNDERMAKER is a Swedish heavy metal project led by Martin Gummesson. This album features special guest vocalists such as Ronny Munroe (METAL CHURCH), Tim "Ripper" Owens (KK's PRIEST, JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, Yngwie Malmsteen), Rille Larsson and L-G Petrov (ENTOMBED/ENTOMBED A.D.). Mr Munroe sing on 4 of the songs, and the Ripper and Rille on 2 each, while L-G roars on 1 track. And I guess that this must have been one of L-G's last recordings before he passed away in March this year.
The music is true heavy metal in the good old way, so no surprises there. The songs are good and everybody is doing a good job here. So there's not much to complain about here.
THUNDERMAKER has previously released 2 albums"

~ hardrockinfo.com

 

"Sweden’s THUNDERMAKER is a welcomed new act serving classic melodic metal spiced with other related things which works really well from songwriting & performances to production & mix.

Highly Recommended"

~ 0dayrox2.org