Nuclear Blast - 2013
9.5/10
After perfecting their sound despite such a short history, Enforcer would jump into the more mainstream seats, at least in terms of the traditional metal world post 1991. Naturally, that also means signing to a bigger label and having a bigger budget to work with, thus a cleaner output. Death By Fire would be the end result, working like a “part 2” of Diamonds that builds itself under a fine-tuned scope. Take the same speed metal backbone that has a bloodline running back to the debut, add in the tactics that made the sophomore brilliant, and buffer the raw edges to paint a picture of what’s before us.
Even though I prefer said untreated edges by just a hair, the exact same momentum is established, giving the entire album a boost of energy with its refreshed second lap of fierce riffs and compelling vocals. It may also be fair to say that the speed metal element takes a slight leap into the forefront, but I’ll chalk that up to the one-two punch in the beginning. Following the short “Bells Of Hades” intro, “Death Rides This Night” grips the listener with precise recklessness topped with a very catchy chorus. Maintaining this influence, the next track “Run For Your Life” follows up delivering stellar blow after blow, hoisted high by galloping bass licks and more Iron Maiden-esque soloing. Man, what a way to start the record! Speaking of Iron Maiden, the instrumental “Crystal Suite” has some serious “Phantom Of The Opera” energy, raking in the strongest bass rumbles paired with intricate drum fills. The leads here do a wonderful job replacing vocals, especially with their warm tones. I couldn’t have asked for a better center-piece.
Death By Fire does however return to the steadier sections after a wild wave of borderline thrash revival. “Silent Hour / The Conjugation” is this album’s single longest tune, displaying some of Olof’s tightest vocal work with powerful drum fills that pair nicely with the other more-involved “Sacrificed.” The latter utilizes slowly ascending fret-rambles before cooling and returning to the first phase, showing that they’ve still got chops for the longer haul. Both tunes together erect a nice wall of different influence that would have had a stronger impact if the album ended with them. Instead, we got “Satan,” a throwaway tune that isn’t worth complaining about in itself, but rather its placement. It should have been tossed into the front half boasting its breakneck speeds, but I’m being pretty damn nit-picky with that comment.
As always, melody plays a heavier hand in a lot of Enforcer’s magic. Tunes like “Take Me Out Of This Nightmare,” hearken back to the slow introduction of layers to give way to an otherwise hearty chorus with muscular riffing. If the openers aren’t the strongest songs on the disc, this one is. I also like how “Mesmerized By Fire” works with energetic and concise templates nicely to connect it to the earlier speedballs, working as an impenetrable adhesive.
Objectively, it may be fair to say that this is the Swedes’ best work just because of the deburred edges, but subjectively I still prefer the raw construction and lifegiving honesty of its predecessor. Like before, this is an essential listen for all fans of the speed or traditional metal genre. It saw an already established identity remove its adolescent covering by taking a step towards maturity, and while longer construction was more compelling in the last album, the speed metal wings are spread wide open here. This is the best kind of evolution a band can have, even if they never reach what you consider their peak again.
No comments:
Post a Comment