Rokets - Bad Choices (2025) Hi-Res

“Bad Choices” is the kind of record that’ll get fans of Scandinavian rock ‘n’ roll – or “Action Rock” as people insist on calling it now – very excited indeed.

That sound. Those guitars. The solos. If you live for that, you’ll love this from the off. “Shackles Without Chains” sets the tone, while “Overload” wears its Hellacopters influence with pride. Sure, this music owes a debt to those trailblazers, but Rokets aren’t imitating – they’re carving out their own identity.

“Louisa” grabs Motörhead’s baton and sprints with it, leaning into a heavier, more metallic edge. That’s no surprise given that frontman Sami Mustonen was a metalhead before joining the band in 2017. You’d never guess from the harmonies that light up the soaring “White Raven,” though, a song that shows another side entirely.

Across its half-hour runtime, “Bad Choices” tears through rock’s backstreets with gleeful abandon. “Law And Order” even manages to out AC/DC AC/DC, while throwing a cheeky middle finger to the authorities along the way. Then there’s “Wheels To Kill,” where the band sound like they’ve been possessed by some wicked femme fatale – and from the sound of it, she doesn’t stand a chance.

Elsewhere, Lauri Lyytinen’s bass work locks “Diamonds And Dust” into place, a song that echoes the swagger of Bonafide at their finest. But nothing matches the sheer velocity of the closing “Lights Out,” a million-miles-an-hour rager that leaves scorch marks in its wake.

“Bad Choices” doesn’t slow down, doesn’t look for validation, and certainly doesn’t apologise. It’s filthy, fast, and fun – and if there’s any justice, it should give Rokets the launch they’ve been waiting for.