THUNDERMOTHER, the Swedish female Hard Rock/Rock ‘n’ Roll band had severe changes in its lineup, with Mone, Guernica and Emlee leaving the band. Of course these three Rock addicted queens wouldn’t stay outside music for a long time, so the three founded THE GEMS, and as a trio, they are releasing their first album, the groundbreaking “Phoenix”. But what the fans can expect of them? Simply: Tons of the purest Hard Rock and Rock ‘n’ Roll.

They follow the same musical tendency of their former band: an organic form of Hard Rock of the 70s, filled with nasty and filth traces inherited of AC/DC (if any doubt rises from such worlds, just give a listening to “Domino”), with some uncompromised appeal inherited from Lemmy ‘Mr. Rock ‘n’ Roll’ Kilmister’s gang, but’s not only this: these girls have guts to make something that belongs to them. And pay attention that such nasty music was built under solid melodic foundations, with excellent choruses and is plenty of hooks spread throughout the album’s songs. It’s full of energy and they breathe a new life on an old musical genre (the correct thing to be done). But who really cares for such aspects as long as the music is truly good?

“Phoenix” was produced by John Randén (who plays guitars on the acoustic version of the title track) and mastered by Plec Johansson (known for his works with SOILWORK and FIREWIND), with the sonority being organic (as the band just came to the studio to a rehearsal), but being defined for the sake of the understanding of what’s being expressed; on the other hand, one can feel the grasp of the crude aggressiveness of their music as well. And the artwork is a fine piece created by Giorgia Carteri (another former member of THUNDERMOTHER who did works for SOILWORK and THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA), who caught the album’s main musical concept and turned it into visual art.

But don’t get the wrong idea, because even in such way, “Phoenix” bears a musical range and depth that earns the band’s musical work a great value. And to have a deeper idea of what the trio is about, pay attention to “Queens” (a massive blow of energy that bears the intense groove of the past, with nasty Rock ‘n’ Roll appeal presented on the guitar riffs and duets), “Send Me to the Wolves” (a heavier song in a 70s Hard Rock sense, with vocals filled with emotions, in an Janis Joplin’s updated way), “Domino” (a true live hit due its massive and crude energy, and what earthshaking and heavy work on bass guitar and drums on the rhythms), “Silver Tongue” (it’s a heavier song with traces that resembles 80s Hard Rock ion some moments), “Ease Your Pain” (a deeper and melodic ballad full of melancholic layers, with excellent combination of chords and vocals), “Running” (another set of 80s elements can be heard on the song’s melodies, and what lovely chorus), “Like a Phoenix” (the band’s first Single who took German charts by assault, with a massive energetic impact sharpened by excellent melodic appeal), “P.S.Y.C.H.O” and “Force of Nature” (two manic and heavier songs with clear Heavy Metal appeal, but the melodies that hooks the hearers at first listening), and the Country-like appeal of the acoustic version of “Like a Phoenix” will do the right presentations.

This album opens 2024 as a great battering ram. So you all must listen to “Phoenix” and pay respect to THE GEMS.