There’s quite a resurgence going on in Europe at the moment of bands that sound a lot or a little like Sweden’s Confess. Whether that’s a good thing or not depends of course on personal taste, but surely we can all agree that a general upsurge in interest in finely crafted, melodic heavy rock is good for everyone, right?

Confess rattle along on the superb title track of this album like an enticing mixture of fellow Scands Sister and Crazy Lixx; If Mötley Crüe were just starting out in 2020 they might well sound a bit like this, or the raging singalong metal of 509, although clearly the superior vocals of the strangely-monikered John Eliot would knock Vince Neil’s into the nearest cocked hat. At times he sounds like an otherworldly mix of his almost-namesake and Harem Scarem’s Godlike Harry Hess, which is a pretty devastating proposition if you decide to be a singer in a melodic hard rock band; His singing on the superb radio-friendly single Is It Love is straight out of the top draw, marking this band out amongst all the competition as being rather special in terms of potential.

Guitarists Blomman and Pontus don’t over-flash things too much, preferring to keep things direct and punchy but this is definitely a partnership that works; Have a listen to the decidedly Skullfistish melodic metal of A Beautiful Mind for proof of this in action. Likewise, bassist Ludwig doesn’t attract attention with his playing, but he’s a rock solid presence, especially his propulsive playing on the excellent My Vicious Way. Sam Samael is the archetypal battering presence behind the kit, solidity personified.

Confess don’t yet quite have the personality or consistency to join melodic rock’s top table, but the tools are quite clearly all in the box on the evidence of Burn ‘Em All. They ain’t far away from meganess, but for now there’s enough good stuff here to get us all interested. Exciting times await!


Burn ‘Em All is out on February 28th.