Year : 2025
Style : Melodic Heavy Metal
Country : Denmark
Audio : 320 kbps + front
Size : 98 mb
Bio:
2005-2006: Drummer Klaus Agerbo and bassist Peter Bruun meet in Esbjerg, Denmark and soon find that they share a great passion for old school 80's heavy metal. They decide to start a band based on that stile, and joined by guitarist Søren Steffensen, the trio starts jamming old 80's metal stuff.Singer Lars Märker joins the band in 2006, starting out playing rhythm guitar as well. This completed lineup starts writing their own songs, and quickly develop a clear musical profile. - Classical heavy metal with power and melody.On a long list of potential band names "MERIDIAN" seems to be the one that perfectly match the band and its musical direction.2007-2009: By March 2007 the band enters the studio to record the first EP, "All The World's A Cage", containing four of the early songs written by the band. Soon after Lars wants to concentrate on his singing, and the band decides to recruite another guitar player, making it a quintet for the first time. First up was Sørens brother, Torben Steffensen who stayed for a year, then beeing replaced by ”JS”. - In 2008 the band takes some time out building its own recording studio in the rehersal place, and in the summer of 2009 releases the second EP, ”Inside The Machine”, produced and recorded by the band itself. The release is celebrated by playing a couple of gigs, but shortly after, Søren decided to leave the band for personal reasons. A replacement was found in local guitarist Steffan Pedersen, and the band continued gigging locally for a while.2010-2012: 2010 was spend writing and demoing songs for the next release. By the end of the year, 10 songs were ready for a full album release, so in early 2011 the band started recording the debut album, again producing and recording themselves at home in the rehersal place. The work was done in the early summer, and the band took a good listen to the result. The common feeling was that it sounded good, but it didn't sound great. The decision was made to start again from scratch. Everybody had great faith in the songs, but agreed that they deserved a better production. However, this prompted yet another lineup change as JS decided to leave the band. A new guitarist was found in young talent, Mads Bahl, and the band took some time off, just jamming and regaining the joy of just jamming together, after a long period of recording. A show was played in the summer, and then it was back to work again. Ditching the DIY idea, the band entered CB-Studios where the first EP was also recorded, and the album was produced and mixed by Christian Bonde. During the mixing phase it was lineup adjustment time again. Mads was out and in came an old friend of Klaus', Martin J. Andersen, - a very talented player, known from his own bluesrock band, Blindstone, and various other projects. Martin provided solos for five songs on the album, which was then mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, and finally, by early 2013 it was done, and the band went looking for a record deal to get the album released.2013-2014: In 2013 the band signed with the danish label, Mighty Music, and the debut album, titled ”Metallurgy”, was released in december. It received a lot of great reviews, and the band played a handfull of shows around the country. A video was made for the song ”Between Love And Hate”, which gained the band some attention. In the summer of 2014, the band went into the studio to re-record a new version of a song from the second EP. The song, ”The Bravest Face” was written in 2008, with lyrics by Klaus about his nephews fight against leukemia. He beated the disease twice, but in 2014 it came back again, and the band decided to re-record the song as a tribute to his ongoing fight. Sadly he lost the fight and passed away in the autumn. A few weeks later the song was released as a digital single, with all income going to the danish cancer foundation. The single contained two versions of the song, - the full band version and a stripped down piano version, played and sung by Lars.2015-2016: In December 2014 the band had the first writing session, working on new ideas for songs for the next album. This work continued in the first half of 2015, and in august the band checked into Hansen Studios to record the second album. Compared to the three years it took to make the first album, the recording process this time was quite the opposite. All the music was recorded in just four days with vocal done at various sessions the following months. The album was produced, mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen. Soon after the recording of the album, Steffan decided to leave the band for various personal reasons. A replacement was found in the talented Italian guitarist/producer, Marco Angioni, who runs his own studio, Death-Island Studios, in the north-western part of Denmark. The new lineup quickly proved itself as the most harmonic and best Meridian incarnation, and in the spring of 2016 the band won a local competition and got the job as openers of the main stage at Esbjerg Rock Featival. At the same time the first single of the new album, the song ”City Of Holy War”, was released digitally together with a new music video. The song got a lot of airplay on the danish radiostation MyRock.The new album, entitled ”Breaking The Surface” is released 16th. September 2016.
Album:
Fifth full-length album.Formed in Denmark in 2013, Meridian have carved out a career standing at the crossroads of melodic metal and hard rock, with flashes of AOR and progressive elements. In 2025 they return with Meridian, their fifth album and a bold statement of intent: pure, no-frills heavy metal, direct and electrifying, steeped in the ‘80s spirit of Accept, Iron Maiden and Saxon. With the arrival of vocalist Søren Adamsen (ex-Artillery) and a raw production handled by guitarist Marco Angioni, the band unleashes crushing riffs, soaring choruses and searing solos, capturing the live energy and power that define their stage presence in a record that proves the old school still rules.Uprising: A direct hit to the jaw with a crushing, half galloped, choppy riff with a death-metal edge, as the drums come in loaded with fills, steering the rhythm into mid-tempo territory with massive distortion and weighty guitars. Adamsen’s voice is gritty with high pitched tones, very much in the style of Udo (Accept) or Boltendahl (Grave Digger). The guitars unfold a set of solos full of feeling and superb development. The opening riff anchors the song’s various phases, opening up in the verses into power chords where the pick-played bass lines shine with a bright tone. Adamsen shows flawless technique, handling English with ease; he never sounds stiff, and in several sections he breaks free of convention with shouts and energetic expressions that fit the song perfectly. An excellent, energetic and brutal opener.When the World Fids Out: No frills or unnecessary intros, before ten seconds have passed, the song explodes, built on a choppy structure with drums that go straight to the point, avoiding polyrhythms or overcomplicated time signatures. The performance is precise, locking in like a human metronome. The listening experience is very ‘80s, with sustained chord rhythms, quick hard-rock-style phrases and a lead guitar that takes its time, crafting the melody note by note. An excellent track that complements the opener, less aggressive and direct, but continuing the album’s emerging line.Crown the King of Violence: Adamsen’s voice has an incredible ability to adapt to each song’s mood; the tempos drop, but everything feels heavier, with some artificial harmonics and a martial accented rhythm. The bass comes through with more freedom, delivering spiralling lines that enrich the arrangements. Adamsen’s voice here is raspier and more malicious, at times brushing up against a metalcore style, especially in the more pounding and vibrant rhythmic sections, which recall the pummelling, punishing structures of Pantera in the ‘90s or Judas Priest’s heaviest era (Painkiller, Jugulator). A great track.Last Words of a Dyng Man: What a title! What could a dying man tell us in his final moments? Before we can think, the composition bursts in our face with a speedmetal rhythm that masterfully blends thrash velocity with heavy metal’s power. The drums have broken their chains, raging like a beast, delivering hard snare hits, forced gear changes, and tight kick snare patterns that sound harsh and unrelenting speed, aggression and looseness reminiscent of Clive Burr (Rest in Power), the legendary Iron Maiden drummer. The song resolves in a cascade of lead guitar interplay over an unleashed percussive machine. A gem of the album.B.U.R.N: Did someone say rock and roll? After the overwhelming intensity of the previous tracks, here comes a song recalling Deep Purple, Rainbow, and ,most of all, Kiss: a composition with sped-up bluesy scales and loads of glam metal vibe, radiating that rock ‘n’ roll fire, with shout along choruses and delicious breaks, perfect for hitting the highway at full speed, hair in the wind. The vocal delivery kicks up another notch, showcasing great versatility.Swinging the Chain: Not that Meridian aim to create a catalogue of styles, but this track shares the same vibe as the previous one. The lyrical phrasing sets the pace, backed by catchy riffs with plenty of swing. The bass lines are solid, sketching out the groove as the drums keep a marked beat with tasteful cymbal work. The solos are inspired, with sustained notes, feeling and technique; the guitarists avoid empty virtuosity, instead delivering sections that are well executed and full of life, a track to feel with both your feet and your head.The Way Back: No heavy metal album is complete without a heartfelt power ballad, and here it is, channeling the spirit of W.A.S.P. or Vandenberg, with a heavy, melancholic opening led by the lead guitar, followed by deep bass lines and brief clean guitar arpeggios. The chorus comes with backing vocals that amplify the drama and operatic feel, and the lead voice sounds clean in places, enhanced with added reverb and harmonies for a more theatrical effect. An excellent piece that elevates the album another step, varied, rocking and metallic, without recycling formulas but exploring different styles. Commendable.Taking Power: A powerful song. Right from the first second you can hear its steel forging in the scorching furnaces of metal. Pure ‘80s epic intent, mid-tempo, with a lively rhythm built on power chords that hover briefly before dropping into a bed laid by the rock-solid bass-drum foundation. It stands on its own while staying true to the album’s spirit, exploring more epic variants with sharper guitars and faster, hero style solos full of technique and swagger. A distinct piece that synergistically strengthens an already top-tier album.Masks of Anger: Was there room here for a progressive spirited track? Absolutely. With syncopated drums and spiralling bass lines straight out of the best of Rush or Yes, this is a true compositional gem. The blend of heavy, hard-rock and progressive, more precisely, neo-prog, fits Meridian like a glove. The tempo changes are flawless, and the emotion the singer conveys, dropping the rasp for softer tones without losing essence, gives the song exactly the perfection it demands. The textures and layers of melodic guitar work are beautiful. The band’s maturity shines through, even gifting us a twin-guitar harmony section with a gorgeous, undulating melody and elaborately crafted solos alternating between sustained notes and rapid runs. As the album’s closer, it shows Meridian in a state of grace, a golden finale that makes this record essential, and one that should already be considered among the top ten albums of the year.Conclusion: Meridian deliver a record that refuses to be confined to a single mold, skillfully traversing different territories of heavy metal and hard rock, even flirting with progressive elements while maintaining cohesion and identity. Each song adds a unique shade, from the opening brutality to the tenderness of the ballad and the sophistication of the closing track, resulting in a solid, vibrant and memorable album. More than just a continuation or a fresh start, it feels like a statement of purpose and an exercise in versatility that places the band in a prime position to be counted among the year’s best.
Line Up:
Søren Nico Adamsen - Vocals (2025-present) - See also: Denied, FireForce, Nicö, Artillery (live), ex-Dignity, ex-Serpent Saints, Fury, ex-Crystal Eyes, ex-Crystal Tears, ex-Gutter Creek, ex-Inmoria, ex-Ripe (live), ex-Maladaptive, ex-Starrats, ex-Twinspirits, ex-Black Sabbath Tribute, ex-Dirt Torpedo, ex-Terracore
Martin Jepsen Andersen - Guitars (lead) (2012-present) - See also: Anchorite, Chalice of Sin, Legend Revisited, Blindstone, Crossroad Overdrive, ex-David Reece, ex-Kuko De Kobra
Marco Angioni - Guitars (2016-present) - See also: Empire Drowns, Street Fighter, Withering Surface, ex-KTL, ex-Motivi X Litigare, ex-Burning Ground, ex-David Reece, ex-Scientic, ex-Chaoswave
Peter Bruun - Bass (2005-present) - See also: ex-Sonic Machine
Klaus Skjoldborg Agerbo - Drums (2005-present) - See also: ex-Carl Turns Fifty, ex-Onelvis
Tracklist:
01. Uprising
02. When The World Finds Out
03. Crown The King Of Violence
04. Last Words Of A Dying Man
05. B.U.R.N.
06. Swinging The Chain
07. The Way Back
08. Taking Power
09. Mask Of Anger
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
