Review: The Hero – Monster Hunter
The HERO from Stockholm, Sweden, deliver heavy, dark and melancholic hard rock/metal which also has a broad appeal beyond these boundaries. Formed in 2003, they have evolved and progressed over the last two decades into today’s dynamic powerhouse. The driving force of The HERO’s music – melodic baritone vocals, heavy guitars, thundering bass and bombastic drums that create strong, catchy melodies that echo long after the audience has gone home. The results are solid and quite unique. All the instruments play prominent roles instead of just offering a wall of sound, balancing hooks and groove with the dramatic as each song twists and turns. Layered over this are the brooding, smooth and sombre vocals that are suited perfectly to the music. —Soundmass Records
A good overview of the band known as The Hero (or just Hero on some releases). The band just recently dropped their sixth album, the 2024 release entitled Monster Hunter. But first, let’s take a quick glance at the band’s history to catch everyone up.
Discography So Far…
While many of us on this side of the pond probably discovered the band with their second release, being their first US release entitled Immortal, released in 2009 on Retroactive Records, there is the band’s first release in their native land that needs not be ignored, which was 2006’s Bless This Nation. Oddly though, this first release does not even appear in the discography listing on the bands most recent official electronic press kit. Head scratch.
In 2013 the band returned, with another apparently Sweden-only release on Blood Red Music records, entitled Afterlife. Fortunately, copies of this release were available at some retailers in the US, making it more readily available to the US market.
In Jan 2017, a joint-effort between Blood Red Music and our friends at Roxx Records brought us the bands fourth release entitled Miracles. The first, and currently only one to be released with a vinyl edition.
Three years later, the band did a digital only version for their fifth album, simple entitled MMXX. Only available for streaming and purchase on many major platforms currently, I was informed by the band that works are in place for a physical product release for this one soon.
While the band in general has shifted members at times over the decades, the one mainstay is founder and vocalist Michael Hjelte, aka Michael Hero, keeping the general sound somewhat consistent with his baritone vocal styling. You may remember Michael from his former band Sons of Thunder, who released Metal Praise (1998 EP), Load, Aim, Fire (2000) and Circus of Power (2003).
And unlike some bands who change musical direction frequently, Hero has also generally stayed consistent in their overall style over the six releases, with their lyrical and musical maturity continuing to grow with each one. Dark, melancholy and heavy, yet melodic guitar-driven hard-edged rock with enough of a metallic edge to appeal to general metal fans is what you’ll get.
On the Hunt…
And that brings us up to present day, and the new 2024 release Monster Hunter, this time around on the Australian label Soundmass Records, which should mean another one readily available at many distributors in the US as well. Or buy direct from the band to get a couple extra fun things thrown in.
Now, onto this new release, let’s discuss the music found here, the most important part of course. The opening track, and first single/video release is the title track Monster Hunter, and epic feeling mid-speed hard edged track declaring:
I’m a monster hunter
A demon slayer
Destroyer of darkness
A devil hater
I’m a monster hunter
And plunder hell
Fear no evil
I will hunt you down
Monster hunter on the way
Up next, Eternal and Glorious starts off very mellow as if preparing for a ballad, but kicks in to a double kick power metal feel, alternating between the fast and the slow during the verses. The intro and slight keyboard highlights throughout give it a real Celtic feel, which I know some people have described the band as leaning towards. This is one of the more diverse songs, going from fast to slow, with a very hook laden chorus, occasional scream vocal thrown in, and then a bridge that goes chaotic, kicking into hyper speed with a power drill playing highlighting over top, before dropping back down to the general feel. One of my favorite tracks here.
Up next is Don’t Give It Up, another video single from the band, and a good choice with an infectious ear-worm of a chorus for sure. Another one that sticks with me.
Followed up by the church bell intro of We Must Never Forget, another video single from the album, gives us a more mellow side of the band. Well, it is mellow in general, but picks up the pace at times throughout, while maintaining a spooky feel with the layers of sound and vocals. Definitely a good choice for a single.
Mayday Mayhem kicks in with tribal drums, keys and synchronized morse code sounds before being joined by syncopated snare drum to build it all up into the upbeat rocker it is. Oxygen follows next and is the one true power ballad for the album.
Hero of the Day is another upbeat and catchy track, followed by Sinners of the Century, with one of the heaviest riff openings on the album, setting the tone for the driving heavy riff track to follow. Blood Red Roses hugs that line between melodic power ballad and hard rocker, alternating between the vibes of both.
The final real track is Punch in the Face, the longest track here, clocking in at 6:00, and which starts off setting you up for a soft track, but have no fear, it kicks into standard gear to offer us a rocker with plenty of ups and down, shredding guitar and a groove that keeps the interest. The album closer is an eighty second electronic sound effect musical track called The Sound of the Seven Trumpets, bring this journey to an adequate close.
Okay, a little griping…
Now, a little nit-picking housekeeping in closing, not regarding the band or music, but the packaging layout/design. The 8-page CD booklet contains the lyrics and band photo, and a brief thank you block labeled “credits.” Though, this “credits” block is more of just a thanks section, as it is just a list of names, not listing any specific tasks for the names it contains.
And oddly, nowhere in the booklet do we find the band/musician credits or names listed. No credits for who did what with this release, and that includes not finding the name of the one who did the design and layout, which is a bit of a gripe for me (as a designer). The lyrics are not only a small font, but they are a fancy old script type, and a very thin font. And being thin white on a very dark background, they are near impossible to decipher easily. Sure, throw on some reading glasses and holding it real close will get you by, but still. Gripe over.
Closing Remarks
In closing, I’ll admit that while I have been a listener of the band since Immortal dropped into our laps in 2009 and onward, the band in general, got somewhat overshadowed and lost in the sea of other bands. And while I’d quickly say I enjoyed their stuff, I couldn’t say I spent enough time with any one release to say much about it.
However, this time around, I have taken a good amount of time to repeatedly listen and digest this new release, and it gives me a brand-new perspective and enjoyment of the overall sound these guys consistently offer. I have also found myself going back for repeated listens to those previous release also, which has been with new eyes.
If you have been a past casual listener, like I was, take a few minutes to check out this new album before blindly passing it by. The video tracks presented here are a good place to start, but if you do use a streaming service, check to see if you can hear the rest of the release there. In the end, if you enjoy it, of course we encourage you to always buy physical product, as it is the only way the band will see anything substantial for their efforts.
Monster Hunter (2024) – Soundmass Records
Track listing:
- Monster Hunter
- Eternal and Glorious
- Don’t Give It Up
- We Must Never Forget
- Mayday Mayhem
- Oxygen
- Hero of the Day
- Sinners of the Century
- Blood Red Roses
- Punch in the Face
- The Sound of the Seven Trumpets
Find the band online:
Web: https://herosweden.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHEROSweden
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.hero.sweden/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHeroSweden
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3d7E2TtUslmAaMVQWBGT3M?si=2xND6yk1TMCCkPyfShaK4g
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