Album review: ENFORCER – Death By Fire
Nuclear Blast – Out Now.
As part of the blessed 80s generation that got to enjoy all the classic Heavy Metal albums in their making I am sceptical about young bands that claim they play “True Metal”. I mean, what the hell does “True Metal” really mean? As you can appreciate, I try to keep well away from such bands but being a music journalist makes such efforts pretty difficult.
It was with much hesitation and reservation that I decided to undertake the task of reviewing Enforcer’s third studio album “Death By Fire” and so I was quite relieved to discover, only after a couple of good spins, that this nine track release is quite suited to my taste.
You see, Enforcer succeed where most bands desperately fail and that is in really managing to recreate a style and sound made famous by bands like Metallica, Anvil and Iron Maiden back in the early 80s. Riffs are simple and sharp, guitar solos flamboyant and to the point and Olof Wikstrand’s vocals high in timbre and with the conviction needed to support the band’s up-tempo rhythmical tunes.
With an average duration of three and a half minutes, these songs inflict an immediate impact upon the listener and, most importantly, operate in a rather cordial way rather than fighting each other for your approval, offering as a result a pretty harmonious listening experience.
The piano tunes and guitar harmonies offer a short introduction to the album, while the Metallica cut-edge riffs and flamboyant solos of “Death Rides The Night” raised the temperature to dangerous highs. More such influences can be found in the equally dynamic “Run For Your Life”, while “Mesmerised By Fire” finds the band looking more towards Motley Crue “Shout At The Devil” era for inspiration.
Joseph Tholl is a gifted guitarist as the second Hard Rocker of the album “Take Me Out Of This Nightmare” seems to suggest, while the amazing twin guitar melodies of “Crystal Suite” make it the band’s own “Transylvania” and one of the many Maiden influenced tracks of this album. “Sacrifice” is a rhythmically varied beast of a song and the equally challenging “Silent Hour/The Conjugation” successfully paves the way for the closing opus “Satan” – a short but highly addictive up-tempo track whose main riff is terribly reminiscent of Metallica’s “Metal Militia”.
I said it once and I will say it again: “Death By Fire” is an album that took me completely unawares. Just as I thought I knew what these four Swedes were about, they managed to change my mind completely by creating an album that is simple in structure but honest in intent.
Playing to its strengths, which are many, the Arvika-based quartet has created an album that will further bond them with their faithful fans but which will hopefully bring about more converts. If you are longing for the sound and style of early 80s Metal then “Death By Fire” is certainly the album for you.
John Stefanis
Rating: **** (4.0/5.0)
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Power Plays w/c 28 October 2024
THE RASMUS Rest In Pieces (Better Noise Music)
THE PLAGUE What Else Can I Do (FiXT)
STAR CIRCUS Turn The Tide (indie)
DEFENCES Breathe It In (Long Branch Records)
Featured Albums w/c 28 October 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)
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