The German Eighties Rock/Metal band SUPERNOVA PLASMAJETS have released their third record. Their first was the EP "Reign in Plasma" from 2014, their second, a self-titled full-length album, was released in 2017. October 2021 sees "Now or Never" come to the light and it is like stepping back in time. This really is as if you are experiencing the eighties all over again. Rock and metal are the main components, but the sound of the keyboards/synthesizer plus the way it's incorporated into the songs only enhance that sensation.

After a short intro the band goes "Beggin'", with a very catchy riff and extremely expressive vocals. If there is one thing to mention, then it has to be how the voice of Jennifer Crush adds to the reminiscing to the so-called golden age of metal. She has that desperation that fits exactly right with the lyrics. The songs all are about relationships, and as you listen to her, you get to comprehend that everything is not always peachy.

The last couple of weeks I have reviewed several albums that start off quite easy on the ears, radio friendly as it were, before they explode into a more diverse and multi-layered experience; "Now or Never" definitely fits into that category. Songs like "Take Me to the Underground", the title song (which has a slight GUNS 'N' ROSES vibe) and "Deer In The Headlights" are very pleasant and quite good songs, but it gets really interesting after that. One of the reasons is that Jennifer Crush let's go more often, doesn't try to sing within any boundaries anymore.

A song like "Lonely Hearts in the Night" is very poppy in comparison to the rest, it also is much more diverse. "I'm Not Okay" might be the title of the next song on the album, the music is more than okay. This rocks, this grooves, this impresses. The same goes for "Fade Away", "Break Me Down" and "Turn Around the Sky". Really great tracks! The last one on the album that the band wrote themselves is "Hello", and that is exactly what I would like to say to SUPERNOVA PLASMAJETS, as they have impressed me more than I thought they would after the first listen. This is a headbanger of a song. Brilliant. Oh, this isn't the end of the album, as they end with quite the rocking rendition of the biggest hits of the eighties, "Tell It To My Heart". Yes, I do know the original by TAYLOR DAYNE, but this one trumps it in more ways than one. Please find out for yourself.