SYMPHONY OF SWEDEN hailing from you guessed it, their namesake Sweden are back with their second full length album. Their first, Inner Demons, was released in 2021, they didn't keep us waiting for the follow up, recently releasing their second album Saints of Yesterday, both solid rock albums, ones that you can't categorize into a specific genre, not that you'd want to. Pontus Hagberg and Linus Webster deliver on their promise when you click their webpage "Hit Music with Attitude from Sweden".

"Will She Fight" is a solid start to the album, you can feel the emotion, the sadness and concern in this Progressive rock filled lyrical mystery of a track. It's almost a love song except its what love is-painful and sad and a misunderstood moment. This track takes those feelings and brings them alive, heartbreak in lyrics.

"Saints of Yesterday" comes with a choir of sorts at the start of the track, completely different from what you'd expect falling into the masterpiece of guitar and drums before the vocal skills of Linus Webster take over and full blast takes the reins of the track and creates a full circle anthem that will have you tapping your toes and enjoying the track to its fullest, it has everything you'd want to hear from a rock track, strong vocals, guitar riffs that are unmatched and a strong powerful sound.

"Bailey" is a calmer track on the album, more ballad than the others, think WHITE LION and you can imagine the feel of this track, although extremely fitting for today's world, this track could have easily been released back in the "When the Children Cry" era and still be relevant. There is a sadness and a pain in the lyrics, like they feel what they are singing and begging others to listen. It really encapsulates the soul of the band, their need to be heard.

Taking yet a different approach, SYMPHONY OF SWEDEN bring us the track "Slave" which is a complete 360 from anything else on the album, heavier than the rest, it works, you can hear the power and strength in the vocals of Linus Webster, and the musicianship from Pontus Hagberg, the track isn't too much for their skills, if anything only breaks the surface of what they can do, it doesn't feel overworked or out of their element.

On Saints of Yesterday you hear everything from a Pop rock sound to Progressive rock, but they don't stop there. "The Grim Reaper" takes them in yet another spiral of a direction with a Melodic rock sound, one that stands out, its melded together strongly with the guitar and bass, not overpowering the vocals, rather taking the vocals and pushing them forward.

"The Road" wraps up the album, melodic and emotional, I feel the theme to this album is strength and empowerment while pushing the boundaries of each track by bringing each to the light and giving each one their undying attention while played, moving on and repeating with each. "The Road" is a musical stronghold full of power and encouragement for anyone who listens, the road of life, is yours to follow, to take and be who you are.

SYMPHONY OF SWEDEN have released a nearly perfect second album with Saints of Yesterday, which takes twelve tracks and brings you a creative adventure, that doesn't disappoint and wraps you in melodic and progressive rock with each track you listen to. The album is well done, strong and not overpowering. Not often does a band bring you an album that feels right in all directions, SYMPHONY OF SWEDEN has done just that with this release. The talent between these two is rare and yet to be fully realized if what we have heard from them on this album is any indication, we can expect much more coming from them.