| Musical Style: Heavy Metal | Produced By: The Hero |
| Record Label: Blood Red Music / Soundmass | Country Of Origin: Sweden |
| Year Released: 2020 / 2025 | Artist Website: The Hero |
| Tracks: 10 | Rating: 85% |
| Running Time: 44:22 |
Stockholm Sweden’s The Hero remains true to its Gothic metal roots on its Blood Red Music fifth full-length album MMXX. As its namesake implies, MMXX initially saw release in 2020 but due to the challenges of Covid only in the digital download format. Enter Soundmass Records, whom in June of 2025 gave MMXX a much deserved CD jewel case rerelease with a bonus track cover of Swedish vocalists Loreen’s 2012 hit “Euphoria” (off her debut Heal from the same year) not on the 2020 version.
Musically, MMXX is not that far removed from The Hero’s Soundmass 2024 sixth full-length album Monster Hunter from embodying a dark, swarthy and brooding Gothic metal sound. Playing no small role in such regard is front man Michael Hero, whom brings a lower register and baritone but melodic style seamlessly aligned with the Gothic genre. Yet, a label of ‘Gothic’ might be limiting as it pertains to The Hero in that you will also hear strong influences of power, symphonic, doom and progressive metal imbue its songwriting. Gist is a configuring of ‘heavy guitars, thundering bass and imposing drums that create strong, catchy melodies that echo long after the audience has gone home’ (quoting the groups press material).
Plodding, somber and melancholic, “Champion” makes a fitting Gothic patterned album opener. It dolefully courses with dusky rhythm guitar and disconsolate vocal melodies corroborating the dimmed landscape, as songs repeats in crestfallen fashion. Albums brimming production distinguished thereupon to opportune bass, lustrous guitar leads and exact drum mix.
“Ace Of Hearts” lends a progressive touch. It delivers variances in form of the symphonic keyboard instrumental opening, downcast verse sections of an endearing capacity and distorted extreme vocals that awaken energy on way to the mournful refrain. Give The Hero credit for the creativity bestowed here. Lyric snippet:
And life keeps turning
The game is over
The winner takes it all
I had some bad beats
But never lost my faith
I’m ready for the game
When I’m gone
I’ll be in a better place
I had a good run
I’ll meet the Ace of Hearts
“Warpaint” exudes of the forwardly focused from combining power metal aspects with the Gothic. Timekeeper Daniel Mouton deserves credit in this regard with his proper double kick drum, as does Michael Here and Emanuel Wärja for the pulsating guitar leads. Interestingly, adorning the backend is offbeat but correlative industrial style keyboards. Lyric snippet:
Warpaint on, warpaint on
Getting ready for the battle to begin
Gonna start a love revolution
Warpaint on, warpaint on
We hate religion, but love a relation
A God revolution
Tainted by your lies
Your empire falls into oblivion
“Scars” divulges of the semi-ballad. It projects a richly layered and regally woven flair, cold and chilling as piano and ethereal feedback lead the way (an almost doom like feel realizes) but also elevated as heavy-duty rhythm guitar periodically leverages the mix to point power metal again comes to mind. Backing vocals are awash in Gothic melody.
“Cold World” carries over the doom-entwined resonance. What we have is a dusky and wintry plodder, awash in inconsolable harmonies and Michael Hero’s duly placed baritone vocals but not without downcast grand piano and keyboards playing complementary roles. Rhythm allows a proper ominous edge, as does the glum melody. Lyric snippet:
Is this how the world will end?
Love is dying in our hands
Can’t stand and pretend
When time comes to an end
It’s a cold world we live in here
May evil die or disappear
It’s a cold world
Make love, not fear
The thickly woven guitar and symphonic keyboards covering the minute instrumental opening to ”Deo Gloria” set an intensified metal tone. Yet, as the song settles down for its verse sections it tempers to a crawl but gradually picks up pace on way to the distinguished refrain gravitating of the worshipful. Operatic female vocals over the final minute attribute to Petra Hero.
Industrial style keyboards return on “Follow Your Heart”, aligning with grand piano as motive settles down for the sauntering verse sections of an easygoing nature. As capacity builds, rhythm guitar powers forward to shore up the somber vocal melody underscored refrain. Interestingly, instrumental moments touch upon a classical bent. Lyric snippet:
You led me all this way, I will follow my heart
You lead me still today, I will follow my heart
You see me everyday, I will follow my heart
And I will keep the faith
Keep the faith, keep the faith!
Follow your heart
Even if the world starts burning
Follow your heart and make it bleed
Follow your heart
Even if the world starts turning
“A Beautiful Day To Live” launches to a succinct bass solo, emboldened as ‘hey!’ backing vocals make an unreserved statement in aligning with intense feedback. Moving forward, song revels in the contentious, identifying the truculent rhythm guitar to make a presiding statement, and untroubled, embodying bass that periodically returns to propagate of the undisturbed. I wish liner notes provided attribution as to who contributes the skilled keyboard work.
As albums lengthiest at five and half minutes, “Braveheart” delivers an onslaught of metal rhythm guitar over counterattacking drum rolls and sprinkling keyboards to embody equal parts progressive and power metal. The valiant melody, however, helps make “Braveheart” in my opinion albums strongest track- thickly woven but enduring with reiterated play (akin to Theocracy). An extended instrumental run covering the final two minutes again finds Michael Hero and Wärja in pensive and at others affable soloing top form. Lyric snippet:
Your heart is free
Have the courage to follow it and
Fight with passion
You come as free men, and free men you are
Lead the people to freedom
And they will follow, so would I
I don’t wanna lose heart
I wanna believe
The “Euphoria” cover differs from the keyboard-doused-dance-rhythm Loreen original with a ringing dose of swarthy rhythm guitar and Gothic overtures, with Michael Hero’s lower register croon establishing The Hero’s distinct darker imprint. Remaining unchanged is the songs regally imposing melody, which helps it to translate seamlessly within a Gothic context.
If a fan of Gothic music in its varying forms or recent The Hero albums up to and including Afterlife (2013), Miracles (2016) and aforementioned Monster Hunter, MMXX will prove a solid addition to your collection. All the pieces are in place in terms of baritone vocals, stark keyboards and fathomless guitars alongside a consistent package of ten songs. There is, however, more to the group than Gothic found in the periodic power, progressive and doom metal overtures lacing its songwriting. Give credit to Soundmass for making MMXX available for the first time in an upgraded CD format.
Review by Andrew Rockwell
Track Listing: “Champion” (4:36), “Ace Of Hearts” (4:57), “Warpaint” (4:58), “Scars” (4:17), “Cold World” (4:48), “Deo Gloria” (4:56), “Follow Your Heart” (5:15), “A Beautiful Day To Live” (4:59), “Braveheart” (5:40), “Euphoria” (3:54)(bonus track)
Musicians
Michael Hero - Lead Vocals & Guitars
Emanuel Wärja - Guitar & Vocals
Patrick Hero - Bass, Vocals & Arrangements
Daniel Mouton - Drums
Additional Musicians
Petra Hero - Vocals
