RR Score: 9.0 ROCK FISTS!

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Intro

Since 2010, Vega have been building a nice collection of albums. Their last album released in 2014 'Stereo Messiah' has become my favourite Vega album. Mind you, all of their albums have been great and the band show a wonderful mix of 80s hard rock and modern day rock. The band should be much bigger than they are, and if they were around in the heyday of hard rock, I have no doubt these guys would have been huge. Along with other European acts such as Eclipse, Brother Firetribe and H.E.A.T, these guys are not only keeping the hard rock flame alive, but are torching most others in their path with albums that rival the classic hard rock bands of the 80s. But will the bubble burst? I'm hoping not.

Review

The opening song 'Explode' literally is an explosion of hard rock. The opening riff is the fuse that lights it up. This is a cracking opening song that will have you banging your head and singing at the top of your lungs. This is one of those songs you shouldn't listen to while driving if you want to stay under the speed limit. 'We Got It All' has a more modern feel to it and is more of a mid tempo rocker. The chorus is your classic Vega anthem though and the song builds nicely into a great modern rock song. 'Every Little Monster' is a great tune. Probably closer to an 80s hard rock sounding song than the previous two tracks. The chorus is another melodic anthem that I can see going over great live. 'Nothing Is Forever' is the big ballad on the album that has Nick singing over a piano. It's a nice song without being a highlight on the album, however Nick's vocals really shine through on this track and show what a great singer he is.

'White Flag' is just a great rock song. I'm not surprised they released a video for this track as I can see it appealing to both new school and old school hard rock fans. I definitely get an Eclipse vibe from this track which is fine with me. The chorus is another big arena rock singalong - 'When all your scares tell you who you are, don't raise your white flag'. 'For Our Sins' is another typical catchy Vega melodic hard rock track, while 'Generation Now' is a more heavy rock track that would appeal to more modern rock fans. 'Ignite' is an interesting track. I can hear a modern day Def Leppard in this song. It's a mid tempo rock track that has a cool groove and really grows on you. It's not as instant as others on the album yet it is now one of my favourite songs on the record.

'Savin' Grace' is another cool slice of melodic rock with another huge singalong anthemic chorus. It also has a really cool guitar solo towards the end which shows off Marcus's talents. In a perfect world, this song would be all over radio. 'If Not You' is another mid tempo rock song. If I was to pick one song that didn't click with me on this album, it would be this one. It's not a bad song, it just doesn't stand out amongst the other great songs on the album. 'Hurts So Bad' ends the album on a high note though with an uplifting modern rock song. The song opens up with a piano before a huge tempo change with some gang vocals singing the whoah whoah's before the song kicks into gear. This is a really cool hard rock song with lyrics that we can all relate to in a modern day world - 'Somebody is praying for what they got, somebody is killing in the name of god, nobody is saying what it all costs, it's who we are'.

Outro

Vega have added another incredibly catchy and well crafted album of hard rock songs to their already impressive catalogue. What I like about this album above their past albums, is that it continued to grow on me. Songs that didn't quite click initially grew into favourites on the album. This shows me that the album has longevity. Songs like 'Explode', 'White Flag' and 'Every Little Monster' would not be out of place high in the charts of years gone by when hard rock was a staple on the charts. Gaining the production services of Harry Hess was also a great choice as well, as Harry brings a wealth of experience in the hard rock world with his band Harem Scarem, plus he knows how to write a catchy song as well. 'Who We Are' deserves to be a big hit album. It's energetic, it's catchy as hell, it sounds great and in my opinion would appeal to a modern day rock fan just as much as an 80s hard rock fan. This is another great album in what is shaping up to be a wonderful year in releases from hard rock and metal bands. Vega rules, go buy it!!