Artist: Enforcer
Title: Zenith
Genre: Total Metal / Heavy Metal / Speed Metal
Release Date: 26th of April 2019
Label: Nuclear Blast
Album Review
In the year 2015 I did a review of ENFORCER’s fourth (a gateway drug for me at the time) album, ‘From Beyond’. I was not impressed until then but that fact should be reversed a few hours into the review. The band of four formed ENFORCER in Arvika, Sweden in 2004 and they should spearhead a future generation of Metal bands. After reading a few reviews of the new output I became really curious about the new record, the magazines loved it or totally hated it (a good sign?) one way or the other, there was a lot of talk about...
As I listen I come to realize that ENFORCER evolved into something else… I can’t put my finger on it but the first thing I can clearly say is that Olof Wikstrand is still a very good singer, if not a better singer than before. I don’t think the band strived too far from what came to be known as the typical ENFORCER style, they just added more stylistic variety to their arsenal. The songs seem less compelling at first bit the melodies still pack a serious punch and Wikstrand is a wicked banshee on the microphone.
‘Regrets’ really stands out for me because I am a sucker for great ballads (brings STRATOVARIUS to mind) although many criticize this song for its rather soft approach and for the pure fact that it’s a ballad (Metal heads can be really harsh when it comes to a change in sound or attitude, see the ‘Load’ era of METALLICA) I really enjoy the piece a lot. I also really dig ‘Die for the Devil’ despite the hairspray flair because of its rawness. I think ENFORCER haven’t changed that much the more often I hear the new output. The last of the songs I will talk about is ‘The End Of A Universe’. The song in itself is a standard ENFORCER piece, well exercised, well sung and with a great vocal culmination (high tones galore). I dig shit like this...
All in all I am pretty satisfied with the new stuff and ENFORCER’s ‘Zenith’ as a whole. It’s a typical “grower” like many releases i.e. IRON MAIDEN blessed us with.
Tracklist
01. Die For The Devil
02. Zenith Of The Black Sun
03. Searching For You
04. Regrets
05. The End Of A Universe
06. Sail On
07. One Thousand Years Of Darkness
08. Thunder And Hell
09. Forever We Worship The Dark
10. Ode To Death
Line-up
Olof Wikstrand / vocals, guitars
Jonas Wikstrand / drums, piano & keyboards
Tobias Lindqvist / bass
Jonathan Nordwall / guitars
Website
www.nuclearblast.de/enforcer / www.facebook.com/enforcerofficial
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10
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