CDs can be found at Pride & Joy
Vinyls can be found in our own shop
Original review by Metal Only
Oh, holy trident! Four years ago (my goodness, time flies) I discovered Neptune’s debut album entitled “Northern Steel” by chance on social media, checked out the title track and was immediately in love. I ordered the entire album and was really impressed by the album.
The Swedes’ style offered a very special version of classic heavy metal, which was almost minimalist and wonderfully unpowerful, but still convinced with great and incredibly catchy melodies, addictive choruses and a powerful, bell-clear heroic vocal. Everything was underlined by great solo playing and never too intrusive use of the keyboard.
Now I have the honor of having the second album in front of me and after the first few songs I am delighted to realize that Neptune are consistently staying true to their line. This primarily means that the song material is mainly in the pounding mid-tempo range, which suits the style perfectly. Because it is only the marching rhythm alone that takes the epic hymn of the tracks into similar realms to those known from heroic Manowar fist-raising or Hammerfall hymns.
The icing on the cake is provided by the mostly multi-part choruses in combination with great guitar solos and the occasional small bridge.
So if you are not carried away by stompers like “Revenge” or epochal hymns like the album highlight “Motherland”, you should have your trueness meter recalibrated. And yet Neptune deliver more than just hero fodder, so “Brightest Steel”, which presents itself stylistically in the best, traditional NWOBHM mixed with classic rock, can also be rocked out at full speed. In contrast, the band delivers an epic semi-ballad with “Nepturion” and a crisp hard rock song with “Power”.
Well, and at the very end, the album closes with the obligatory heroic piano ballad “Northern Warriors”, which turns into a catchy sing-along anthem.
Conclusion:
For me, Neptune is a band with a lot of potential. Their flair for simple but catchy heavy metal pieces that are convincing in their simplicity and yet reveal so many small details when listened to several times can be heard and felt everywhere. So if you’re not averse to a kind of epic metal alternative to older Hammerfall, mixed with the pathos of Manowar and co., you should treat yourself to “Northern Steel/End of time” by Neptune. You don’t have to look for clichés here, Neptune actually celebrate them and that’s just a good thing! The “Truemaster” in me is very impressed.
Points: 10/10
Recommended tracks: Revenge, Motherland, Northern Warriors
Original review – Metal Only
Original review by Giornale Metal in Italian.
Translated by google
The Swedish band Neptune may only be on their second album with “End Of Time,” but they’re true veterans, having been active on and off since 1980. The result? A superb album that might initially be mistaken for a typical Power Metal release, heavy on keyboards—but it’s far from that! In fact, this album embodies the spirit of classic Heavy Metal, with instrumentation and production more aligned with Power Metal. It’s the most epic album I’ve heard in recent months.
Try not to be captivated by sonic monuments like “Brightest Steel” or “Power,” the album’s most traditional tracks, or by the epic masterpieces woven with the finest melodies like the stunning opener “Metal Hearts,” the martial and obsessive “Revenge” (truly fear-inducing!), or the symphonic marvels “Nepturion” and “Motherland,” filled with super-symphonic choral arrangements that will make your spine tingle.
The keyboards and epic choirs shine throughout the album, but they’re far from mere embellishments. Neptune’s music grabs and fascinates the listener from the first listen, partly thanks to the Viking-inspired themes of the concept album.
The album culminates in the theatrical and madrigal-like final track “Northern Warriors,” where the spine-chilling use of piano confirms that Neptune is neither a band of followers nor just another Epic/Power Metal group. This is an album that demands to be listened to and loved. Vikings, to arms!
8,5 /10
original review – Gionarle Metal
Original review by “Forgotten Scroll” in Greek.
Translated by google
My favorite album of 2023 has been HEAVY LOAD’s “Riders of the Ancient Storm”. Could it be that Swedish melodic metal will strike the most tender spot in my heart yet another year? Not unlikely, I’d say!
NEPTUNE emerged in the early ’80s. Classic bands like DEEP PURPLE, ACCEPT, JUDAS PRIEST, and BLACK SABBATH have always been their heroes, but today their sound incorporates more modern touches.
But let’s start from the beginning…
During the ’80s, the band recorded several demo tapes, which led to meetings with multiple record labels. Ultimately, one of these labels funded the recording of an EP that was never released, causing the band to lose momentum and eventually split up, seemingly for good.
It wasn’t until 30 years later, specifically in 2018, that these recordings from the ’80s were released, along with several early demo recordings, resulting in the album “Land of Northern” (Cult Metal). This release reignited the band’s passion, leading them to record a completely new album in 2020 entitled “Northern Steel”, which still featured three original members from the ’80s lineup – Roland “Rowland Alex” Alexandersson (vocals), Anders “Andy Olson” Olsson (guitars), and Jonas Wikström (drums). The trio, joined by Jan Tosh Andersson (bass) and Johan Rosth (keyboards), now returns with their second album, “End of Time”.
This sophomore release from NEPTUNE is a perfect musical continuation of their debut. If you enjoy catchy yet truly interesting heavy metal songs, with elements of power and even prog metal, blending European tradition with the finest of melodic US style, then DON’T MISS this album!
There’s some really clever songwriting in “End of Time”, with tracks that feature excellent development and crafty arrangements. While they might seem simple, they are brilliantly written and delivered in a way that shows a great variety of moods. The album is NEVER boring; in fact, it hooks you from the beginning to the very end with no fillers at all!
I call it the majesty of simplicity. This is the total opposite of the dullness of simplicity that many other albums suffer from – definitely NOT the case here!
Since all band members contribute to the songwriting, the material covers a wide range of styles and emotions. NEPTUNE‘s lyrics often connect to their ancient Nordic history, using an underlying narrative for their albums. This time, the narrative centers around the last known Viking, Harald Hardrada, and several somewhat fictionalized stories about his life. This theme inspired several lyrics on the album, especially Harald’s final battle at Stamford Bridge, which was fierce and relentless, culminating in Harald Hardrada’s death and marking the end of the Viking Age. His followers celebrated this event as the “End of Time.”
“Metal Hearts” is a steady, rhythmic anthem with an iconic refrain that kick-starts the album ideally! “Brightest Steel” comes fast and furious, with an excellent solo from Johan Rosth, who sets the tone for “The End of Time” – an epic, slow-paced song showcasing a brilliant performance by Roland Alexandersson. “Revenge” follows in the same vein, darker and more straightforward, contrasting with the uplifting “Motherland”.
The second half of the album begins with “Sun Goes Down”, an AOR-styled track, and continues with “Nepturion”, a more dramatic and grandiose song in structure, though still less commanding than “Power”, which turns up the heat again. “Highlands” and “Northern Warriors” are a perfect pairing to close the album – a strong melodic song and a finely orchestrated ballad, leaving the listener wanting more. And that’s how success is made!
“End of Time” will be released on September 20th by Pride & Joy Records, both digitally and on CD.
original review – Forgotten Scroll
Review by Metal Rules
It never ceases to amaze me when I come across bands like Neptune. How can this band who formed in 1979 escaped my attention all these years? Until the debut full-length album came out a couple of years back I had never seen one review, interview, concert review or video by this band, let alone seen a release sitting in the racks at a record store. I suppose I should not be too surprised, there are many of these regional, indie, demo-level bands out there and the band did lie dormant from 1987 to 2017!
Despite numerous demos and a couple of indie EPs, Neptune stayed hidden beneath the surface of the water until recently. END OF TIME is this Swedish bands second album. The band are starting to make a splash as they are signed to Pride & Joy Records.
This quintet definitely have a sounded rooted in the 70’s and 80’s melodic Hard Rock and Metal and that is a good thing. The bands image and lyrics are a fun blend of Viking and aquatic themes with a string Metal sensibility with tunes like ‘Power’, ‘Revenge’, ‘Brightest Steel’ and the lead-off track, ‘Metal Hearts’. Manowar and Hammerfall should be proud!
The songs for the most part are mid-tempo, with no double-kick drums to be heard putting this firmly in the traditional Metal category as opposed to Power Metal, which one might expect based on the imagery and song titles. There is a fair amount of keyboards in each song. It doesn’t sound dated like a Hammond sound but certainly an underlying current of 80’s style keyboards, not as a shredding lead instrument like in Sonata Arctica but more along the line of what you might hear on a House of Lords or Europe record.
The song-craft is strong, catchy and fun. This might sound crazy but I even hear the 70’s pomp rock influences (Magnum?) but the thing is these guys come by it naturally as compared to, for example, a newer band like Night Flight Orchestra, who pay homage to that style. See the dance-like cut ‘Sun Goes Down’ for an example of a song with a dance vibe but in a Hard Rock/Metal context.
END OF TIME is by no means a raging Metal beast so purists may want to approach with caution but I certainly enjoyed the retro stylings having grown up in that era. The solos are elegant and understated as are the vocals, everything just cruising along at a good have, never getting too hyper or frantic.
Perhaps what impresses me most with Neptune is that they have managed to carve out a bit of a unique sound. When I first saw the album cover and titled I automatically assumed they were another generic Power Metal band but I was obviously wrong. If you have a proclivity for melody or a 70’s Hard Rock appreciation, then you may want to investigate further. END OF TIME was a very enjoyable surprise!
original review – Metal-Rules
Review by Metal Castle Franken
Harald Hardrada is called the last real Viking. His last fight at Stamford Bridge, in which Harald was ultimately killed, is considered to be the end of the Viking era. Melodic metallers Neptune have taken on this theme in their second album “End Of Time”. The Swedes are by no means a new band, but were founded in the 80s, but they never managed to release a proper album other than a few demos.
Singer Row Alex (actually Roland Alexandersson), guitarist Anders Olsson and drummer Jonas Wikström are still part of the original line-up. But Neptune’s music is by no means a retro nod to the 80s, but rather powerful epic melodic metal with a modern sound. Keyboarder Johan Rosth also plays a significant role here, as the haunting key and synth recordings in between give some of the songs a progressive touch.
The opener “Metal Hearts” is a straight melodic metal smasher, but it immediately shows the musicians’ existing qualities. Singer Row intones very melodically, but with rough basic features and timbre. In “Brightest Steel” a great keyboard accompaniment sets off and forms progressive features. The drums thunder again and again and the sound approaches bombast. One or two Kamelot thoughts come to mind when you hear such an epic hit as “Motherland”, which penetrates the listener in many layers and also captivates them with dramatic twists.
“Nepturion” rises in almost the same way, whereas “Power” is a, yes… almost a power metal anthem. In general, it is the musical variety of epic, melodic metal, progressive power metal and heroic, almost bombastic music that is the essence of “End Of Time”. The guys keep throwing in a new idea and keep the audience entertained throughout the ten compositions.
The final song, “Northern Warriors,” is a genuine Nordmann ballad that gains momentum as it goes on, but also moves you to tears with its elegiac moments. Harald has fallen, the story tells.
Neptune’s “End Of Time” is definitely something to take notice of. The Swedes’ songs never seem forced or over-constructed, as is the case with many melodic metal bands. On the contrary, the mythical, mystical flair of the songs hits the mark and allows you to experience exciting music in an entertaining forty minutes.
original review – Rock Castle Franken