THY ROW - Unchained

THY ROW

Album: Unchained

Genre: Modern Hard Rock

Release Date: September 24th 2021

Country: Finland

Label: Rockshots Records

Band Links: LINKTREE / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK

I have to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of hard rock in its classical sense, but from time to time an album comes up that grabs my attention, and so did THY ROW with their debut “Unchained”. The band hails from Finland, was formed in 2017, and presents their first full-length release on September 24th, 2021 via Rockshots Records. The modern illustrated album cover shows a beast which appears behind a beautiful female mask, leaving room for interpretation. Thematically, “Unchained” deals with personal matters of each band member, and tells the tale of their collective brotherhood while becoming a band, growing and learning together.

“Road Goes On” is the perfect opener with its catchy riff, and when vocalist Mikael Salo joins for the first time they got me already, as his expressive way of singing lifts the music to another level: he lays down his great melodies with an amazing range and power, adds a dirty, rocking vibe here and there. The rhythm section brings in the right energy by pushing the music forward, and together they deliver rock’n roll at its best.

Over the next songs, they hold this high tension, move on with powerful riffs, and enough diversity in their song-writing to deliver a bunch of infectious tracks. In the second half, they lose a bit of their variety, but the music is still groovy and melodic. With “Down on my Knees” they also have a well-done ballad to offer. The last three tracks build a trilogy under the topic “The Downfall, Part 1-3”, ending up with “Fragments Of Memory”, when the character arrives at the final stop. It deals with the heavy theme of losing the grip on reality through Alzheimer’s disease. Music-wise, it’s the great finale, as they show once more their amazing writing abilities, and they leave the listener with a last soaring scream at the end.

What we have here is an impressive debut packed with passionate, pure rock’n roll, that gets head and feet moving straight-away. THY ROW manage to catch the listener from the beginning thanks to their groovy, hard-rocking guitar work and the outstanding vocal performance. The rhythm section supports the music in the right way, so does the well-balanced mixing. With “Unchained”, the Finnish quintet releases indeed a beast, worth to crank it up.

Written by Katha