HORSE OF TROJA

"Harder & Heavier" (Sliptrick Records; 2024)

Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton

Sweden's Horse of Troja cites 80s bands such as Whitesnake as a major influence in their music, and they pride themselves on the 80s sound of their music. Listening to "Harder & Heavier," that influence cannot be denied. On all four tracks to be found on this EP, the band uses the standard rock'n'roll format of guitar, bass and drums to deliver a quartet of solid, if not remarkable, hard rock tunes that sound like they could have originally been written in the 80s.

Interestingly, "Harder & Heavier" ... well, isn't. The four tracks on this EP do indeed qualify as hard rock, but in the vein of Blue Oyster Cult or maybe the aforementioned Whitesnake but aren't nearly as heavy as, say Motley Crue or Guns N'Roses. They're still pretty good songs, especially the bluesy "Instant Drug" and the title track, which sounds a little like late-era Kiss, but one thing they're not is harder or heavier. I know, we're arguing semantics here but this EP is not what I expected with a title like "Harder & Heavier."

Bottom line is this: If you're a fan of 80s hard rock, then you'll probably enjoy listening to this EP. I did. And here's the thing: "Harder and Heavier," although perhaps misleading, is still good enough for me to look for more music by the band and that says something.

For more information, check out https://www.horseoftroja.com/.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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