Album Review: Niva – Stratospheric
Pride & Joy Music – November13th, 2026
Reviewer – Chris O’Connor
Ten years is an awfully long time in the world of melodic rock, particularly when your previous album was as accomplished as 2016’s ‘Atmospherical‘. But Swedish vocalist Tony Niva and his cohorts have finally returned with ‘Stratospheric‘, their seventh studio offering, and thankfully there’s little evidence that their extended absence has diminished their appetite for gloriously melodic hard rock.
For the uninitiated, Niva inhabit that wonderful musical territory where the polished, keyboard-driven sophistication of AOR meets the more muscular approach of traditional Scandinavian hard rock. Think Europe, Treat and a generous helping of eighties arena rock, and you won’t be too far from the mark.
Opening salvo ‘Rock The World‘ wastes absolutely no time establishing the band’s intentions, delivering punchy guitars, sparkling keyboards and the sort of enormous chorus that could comfortably accommodate a small housing estate. ‘Fatal Crash‘ maintains the momentum, with Lars Chriss‘ guitar work and Kay Backland‘s keyboards combining to particularly satisfying effect.
‘Stay With Me‘ introduces a more restrained, atmospheric dimension, while the title track sees the band flexing their musical muscles with some excellent guitar work and a suitably expansive arrangement.
Tony Niva remains a formidable vocalist, although his enthusiasm for exploring the upper reaches of his register occasionally becomes a little excessive. On ‘Heaven Strikes Again‘, for example, the soaring vocal approach threatens to overpower an otherwise impressive composition. Sometimes a little restraint can be every bit as effective as another gravity-defying high note.
Fortunately, there’s plenty here to enjoy. ‘Rhythm Of The Heart‘ is a particularly infectious slice of melodic rock, while ‘Raise Up Again’ injects some welcome hard-rocking aggression. ‘Razor Tongue‘ continues in similarly muscular fashion, although it doesn’t quite possess the immediate appeal of the album’s stronger material.
‘Time To Say Goodbye‘ brings us back into classic Scandinavian AOR territory before the closing ‘Endlessly In Love‘ supplies the obligatory emotional finale.
The production is suitably polished, the musicianship accomplished, and the songwriting frequently excellent. If there’s a criticism, it’s that the album doesn’t quite sustain the exceptional standard established by its opening numbers, and those occasionally overenthusiastic vocals won’t appeal to everyone.
Nevertheless, ‘Stratospheric‘ is a thoroughly respectable return from a band that clearly still understands the importance of a memorable melody. It may not quite reach the heavens promised by its title, but there’s more than enough here to remind us why Swedish melodic rock remains such a rewarding musical proposition.
Welcome back, gentlemen. Please don’t leave it another decade!
Track List:
- Rock The World
- Fatal Crash
- Stay With Me
- Stratospheric
- Heaven Strikes Again
- Rhythm Of The Heart
- Rise Up Again
- Razor Tongue
- Time To Say Goodbye
- Endlessly In Love
Line-up:
Tony Niva – Vocals
Lars Chriss – Guitars
Jan Stål – Bass
Johan Kullberg – Drums
Kay Backlund – Keys
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