Resurrecting NWOBHM from the dead is a neat trick.
Recently reformed genre legends,
Tokyo Blade have achieved just that with '
Thousand Men Strong' - the "real" third album - coming some 26 years after '
Night Of The Blade'.
Whether the music's seismic riffs, complimentary axework and raw, primal power will have same impact on today's technophile generation remains to be seen.
This release sees the "classic era" - Andy Wrighton, Andy Boulton, John Wiggins and Steve Pierce plus new vocalist Nicolaj Ruhnow - back together. And clearly, they still have something to say. As loudly as possible.
Let's go for the album pick first.
With everything amped up to eleven, an ominous, anticipatory intro - tipping its hat to Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' - launches
'Forged In Hell's Fire' developing a pounding, visceral riff, laced with searing axework. It's essentially the rebirth of the band (thus the title, Sherlock) done in song."Forged in Hell's fire, the blade is back".
Nico showcases his multi octave vocal range, occasionally recalling Labrie, but mostly sounding like himself. He wrote all the vocal melodies here, thus bringing a welcome European dimension to the music, (though it's often too far down in the mix).
It's a massive track, with a fully developed sonic arrangement and an airtight production, largely thanks to vastly experienced producer, Chris Tsangarides.
'No Conclusion' is a rock / metal hybrid that works like a dream. Like a power metal Y&T, an audacious, risk taking tour de force.
The band's twin guitar attack stops the more ordinary material from descending into mediocre. Tracks like
'The Ambush' and '
Condemned To Fire' are formula NWOBHM, only made special by Boulton's and Wright's deft, collusive axework.
The minor chord bridge on
'Killing Rays' was an inspired piece of writing, and again the convergence and intensity of the twin guitars - especially when the song suddenly accelerates toward an explosive conclusion - thrust the track into contention with
'Forged.' as the album's outstanding piece of music.
Elsewhere, a few tracks get close to those standouts mentioned above.
'Black Abyss' was the album's free download. It opens proceedings with a heavy metal flourish.
'Going Down The Road' carries the band's rifftastic momentum into the final straight.
A re-recorded '
Night Of The Blade' is a magnificently apposite closer. A sprawling NW emblem, raw, exciting, hard hitting. As an example of barely contained feral metal, it has lost none of its ferocious power and stands up well today.
Recommended.
Written by
Brian Sunday, April 10, 2011
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