Some months ago we started our beloved featured single thread with the debut single of Helsinki-based hard rock act THY ROW. Now, some months later the band has topped up their first single “Hidebound” with a killer of a song “The Round”. The goal of these featured singles, is to show the potential of Finland’s rock and metal scene, as every month new bands release a lot of great tracks that are left unknown to a bigger audience. “Hidebound” was definitely a good start for Thy Row, but if I had to make a choice, I’d say that “The Round” gets my preference.
The song kicks off with an insane intro where tension rises up quickly, perfectly suiting its theme of boxing. The short intro feels like an introduction to a boxing competition, where two competitors are faces towards one another in opposite corners. Tension rises with screams, when they hit a climax, the whole thing settles down to a steady mid-paced heavy riff. Those first thirty seconds are immediately the strongest part of the song. I could listen to them on a loop for hours with the exact same excitement as I have now. While “Hidebound” had a certain groove to it, “The Round” shows the heavier side of the band. In “The Round” vocals tend to be more like a punch in the face, riffs are there to knock you out and I’m especially digging the rhythm sections during the chorus, almost making me feel as if the band are really mimicking a clock when the lyrics “The clock keeps tick, tick, ticking…”. The whole song feels like a bunch of clever made choices and how things are supposed to sound. The subtle melodic parts that sneak into the lead guitar, are very welcome little details that give the song a bit more power. So all-in-all “The Round” is a furious assault that comes with a catchy hook from the right, offers a great guitar solo (by Teemu Mäntysaari) and will keep you going for a while! “The Round” leaves us with only one question, when is this debut album coming out?
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