Formosa – ‘Bittersweet’

(Metalville)

I’m really impressed with the latest album from Formosa, I love its energy and its strong melodic sensibilities, it’s a very easy collection of songs to enjoy. These German’s, it won’t surprise you to learn sound very Germanic and have a lot in common with old school Melodic Hard Rock bands from their homeland. Sometimes they remind me of Bonfire, with their powerful riffs coupled with potent smooth melodies, but they have a tad more AC/DC, Rose Tattoo about their guitar groove. I can definitely hear some NWOBHM influences in their too, a little bit of Tygers of Pan Tang, heavy rock but with a strong melodic stance.

I definitely hear some progression in the band’s song writing, moving away from bare bones party rock and moving into a more solid melodic hard rock swagger. I definitely find them less tongue in cheek on ‘Bittersweet’ than on their previous album ‘Danger Zone’. I think melodic rockers will find it easier to enjoy this album and the musicians themselves come across as more complete and talented.

‘Bittersweet’ is Hard Rock with a smooth edge, there’s plenty of drive and groove but it’s never discordant and aggressive and contains enough power to get bodies moving to the rhythm. I really loved the guitar work from Nik Beer throughout the album there’s some really delicious smooth riffage which is highly infectious and retains a heavy stance. I found a lot of the songs catchy and I think hard rock fans who enjoy a heavy dose of melody will revel in the infectious nature of this album.

‘Wild & Free’ is a firm favourite with its rebellious energy and roar inducing chorus. ‘Fight The Fire’ will definitely appeal to fans of Rose Tattoo with its punchy chorus and groove driven guitars. ‘Crawling Through The Night’ has a great rhythm to it and a devilishly catchy chorus, its very representative of the style and sound of the album as a whole, so if you dig this track, you’re going to really enjoy the album in its entirety. Melancholic smooth rocker ‘Melinda’ really gets under your skin is a strong standout alongside album opener ‘Burning Desire’ which is a banger.

I highly recommend this album if you’re into old school German Melodic Hard Rock as it does draw heavily on its retro influences but it’s got a strong crisp, clean modern production which elevates its appeal. ‘Bittersweet’ ticks all the right boxes with me and is definitely deserving of been played loud!

8/10

Essential Track - 'Melinda'

Review by Woody