Sons Of Texas - Forged By Fortitude album review

Bruising melodic metal from the Lone Star state

Cover art for Sons Of Texas - Forged By Fortitude album

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Album number two and these heavyweight southern-fried rockers are making themselves firmly at home in the groove they cut with 2015’s Baptized.

Drawing comparisons with Pantera was inevitable then, and so it is now as vocalist Mark Morales unleashes some uncannily Phil Anselmo-esque throat aggro on vicious opener Buy In To Sell Out and the title track, over a juddering, squealing guitar barrage. In reality, though, these blasts of ornery violence are just one aspect of a sound that owes as much to commercial nu metal and radio-friendly grunge; for the most part the focus is on melody as Beneath The Riverbed, Turnin’ The Page and Cast In Stone pile on the emotional drama and catchy choruses. There’s even time for a bit of salacious slap and tickle on cheeky ZZ Top-referencing Slam With The Lights On, the crazy romantic fools.

Essi Berelian

Whether it’s magazines, books or online, Essi has been writing about rock ’n’ metal for around thirty years. He has been reviews editor for Classic Rock and Metal Hammer, rock reviews editor for lads mag Front and worked for Kerrang!. He has also written the Rough Guide to Heavy Metal and contributed to the Rough Guide to Rock and Rough Guide Book of Playlists, and the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles (13th edition). Most fun interview? Tenacious D – Jack Black and Kyle Gass – for The Pick of Destiny movie book. An avid record/CD/tape collector, he’s amassed more music than he could ever possibly listen to, which annoys his wife no end.