Released in April 2023 we have the new album from Finland's own SMACKBOUND which is titled "Hostage". The band is made up of professional musicians that have been involved in numerous projects in the past, like singer, NETTA LAURENNE, being a singer and session musician for the likes of AMORPHIS, LORDI and BLACK SUN and other band members have worked with bands like STRATOVARIOUS and WINTERSUN. SMACKBOUND have been turning heads with their live shows and are proving to be a band to watch out for.

Opening with some clean guitars we have the albums first track with "Reap". Some angelic vocals come over that as the rest of the band then follows. A big chorus hits as this one is full of melody. The keyboard parts help to elevate the track and there is some cool guitar work to be found with a killer solo too. This one really sets us up for what is in store for the rest of the album. Next up we have "Change" and right from the start you notice this great bass tone. The vocals help guild the song and you really hear the nice range from the vocals on this one. It is filled with great melodies with a very headbanging type of chorus.

Then we have "Razor Sharp" which is a heavy song and a real circle pit starter. With pounding drums that leads to a big chorus. The vocals have a bit of aggression to them and the guitar work is really cool here.  With a piano intro we have "Imperfect Day". When the vocals come in it starts to sound like a bit of a ballad but the rest of the band soon come in for a huge sounding chorus. Everyone is on top form here and the middle section keeps that epic feel to it. A really great tune. After that one we have "Graveyard" which opens with a cool riff and pounding drums. There is a nice pace to this one and the vocals take command of the track again. There is another big chorus to be found and the synth/keyboards at the end really lift the song up to an epic feel. This is a really strong track and I really did enjoy this one.

Opening up with some acoustic guitars "Traveling Back" has some traditional vibes from the start. There is a positive message the be found within the lyrics and the song picks up for a rocking chorus. The vocal style fits in really well with all the different parts. The middle section then starts to build to something big as the song then ends on a high with one final chorus. The title track "Hostage" has a steady pace from the start and builds from there. There is a really nice heavy rocking chorus with a guitar solo that rips through the song and lyrics about standing up for yourself. This is a track that really gets you moving and you can even dance to it. A cool song.

We come to the final track with "The Edge" and this one opens with a nice almost pop style melody on a clean sounding guitar. Some soft sounding vocals here too as the piano then takes over the melody. A huge anthem style chorus hits us from nowhere and some epic sounding lead guitar lines too as it then goes back to the gentle melodies. The band are showing their full range here and the sound great. The track then fades into something that sounds very atmospheric. After a while some spoken word comes in to help guild us with a positive mental health message as the album fades out.

On "Hostages" SMACKBOUND use so many different genres and styles and blend them all together into one and it works for them. The album is soft and melodic at parts and has lots of heavy grooves at other parts too. The band seem to work well together and bring out the best in each other and the vocals are powerful which you will take notice of. I really enjoyed this one and look forward to hearing more from this band.