Metal Underground.com

With a classic sound that owes plenty to the likes of Judas Priest and Motorhead, Swedish rockers Sister Sin have returned with "Now & Forever." It's an angry jolt of metal in the early-'80s mold, still managing to feel mostly current.

Much of the credit for that has to go to singer Liv Jagrell, who alternates between a punky snarl on tracks like "Fight Song" (which, appropriately enough, begins with the lyric "Fuck you, fuck them and fuck the world too ...") to ethereal beauty on the piano ballad "Morning After," which closes out the disc. Even the testosterone swagger of early Motley Crue shows up in the ax-work on "Hang 'Em High," even as Jagrell takes the tune lyrically to a female perspective.

Jimmy Hitula's guitar-playing is full of the kinds of big riffs you'd expect, with the mid-tempo "Shades Of Black" feeling like it could have been on an early Dio album, while "Hearts Of Cold" has the album's best solo. The slow-burn intro to "I'm Not You" is also quite excellent.

The one thing that sometimes grates is an over-reliance on big gang choruses. On a track like "Shades Of Black," they work well, but they paradoxically rob otherwise good tracks like "Chosen Few" of some of their power, making them feel the slightest bit dated.

That said, the production on this disc, which was mixed by longtime Motorhead producer Cameron Webb, is quite excellent, with the gang vocals still in the backseat to Jagrell's singing. Bass and drums get ample space to work their magic, which is especially good on a more rhythm-centered track like "Shades Of Black."

Sister Sin's "Now & Forever" has plenty to offer for those who enjoy early-'80s sounds. Sure, some of the big choruses can feel a little dated in this day and age, but no one can deny the power of Liv Jagrell's vocals and Jimmy Hitula's mostly monstrous riffs.