With the new dematerialized music consumption habits and the latest tendency in the music distribution market, the Ep format is on a fresh hype and again it's regarded as an ultra-cool marketing process, and it's obviously a wise move for a new band in order to introduce themselves to the incredulous world with such formula... According to this method here is FATE'S RIGHT BAND from Umeå, Northern Sweden.

Now releasing their first official work "Knucklebuster Hits", with skilled vocalist Jonny Lindkvist (also frontman for NOCTURNAL RITES), an EP containing 4 songs with the intention to hit you like a punch in the face in the tradition of the good old days!

The band of veterans is planning to enter the studio again during spring/summer and then record four new titles that will be released later in 2015. At the same time they are working at some more new song ideas.

The ambition is NOT to release a whole album... Instead they are planning to drop a couple of songs at a time... Maybe it's another trick, obviously a strategic choice or an artistic will yet its definitely a curious statement, clearly a courageous concept, another curiosity: if it's not unusual in the Rock business to found two brothers playing in the same band, but in FATE'S RIGHT BAND case, there are two pairs of brothers; Jari & Marko and Jonas & Jens.

Normally, I'm not interested in reviewing Eps, indeed I truly enjoy much better a band and its music in its full plenitude mode. However when I heard that one of my favorite singer Mr Jonny Lindkvist joined a new band, I was eager to witness their sound, so I asked for the assignment of this review task.

The "Knucklebuster Hits" Ep was recorded at Garageland Studios in their hometown of Umeå, with the famous Ronnie Björnström (PLECTOR/BONE GNAWER) behind the mixing board with a real live spirit in the vintage tradition, the Ep consists of four melodic Hard Rock/Classic Rock songs with great variation, influenced by the 70-80's Hard Rock Giants.

It reminds me of early RAINBOW sounds ("Big No No" is similar to "Stargazer") and updated with slight Proggy elements not unlike another Scandinavian band called THE RAGGED SAINTS ("Learn To Live With A Broken Heart") or the more popular GOTTHARD from Switzerland ("That's Me").

FATE'S RIGHT BAND was founded in the beginning of 2013 by the brothers Jari & Marko Aalto together with Drummer Jonas Andersson. The frontman duties was given to Jonny Lindkvist, also a well known & respected lead singer with glorious past with NOCTURNAL RITES/MOGG, joined the band during spring 2013 and finally the line up was completed by adding Jens Mann at the lead guitarist post.

Even if stylistically very different, this short collection of songs is a good palliative for the NOCTURNAL RITES starving fans that are waiting for the new opus with impatience!