High Roller Records/Playground
Ljungby´s finest SCREAMER has been around since 2009, and here is their second outing on vinyl and CD. The concept is retro, and according to the info sheet heavily based on IRON MAIDEN, ACCEPT and JUDAS PRIEST. 2011 saw their debut “Adrenaline Distractions” and 2012 was a year of touring with fellow retro maniacs BULLET. 2013 is the year of this album, and apparently more touring and festival gigs. Can anything stop the Swedes now?
Who hoo, not since 82´have I heard the kind of early days IRON MAIDEN-ish riffs that fills my speakers as “Demon Rider” takes off. The Britishness is here, the right sounding vocals courtesy of Christoffer Svensson, who also handles the bass. Guitarists Anton and Dejan have surely done their homework on Adrian Smith and Dave Murray and their Swedishness may only be detected in the slight edge on the vocals. “No Regrets” is almost pure NWOBHM that could fool any aficionado, as long as the slight modern twist on the riff doesn´t count. I must say that they enjoy a kind of heedlessness that has been long gone in metal, and the MOTORHEAD pun in “No Sleep till Hamilton” can´t g unnoticed. It´s a great and gritty little piece too, together with the typical working class hero semi-epic “Mr. Noman” the best on offer actually. But I quite like them all, and they are not mere Steve Harris & Co copycats. The only slight exception to the rule is the vaguely early VIRGIN STEELE reminiscent closing track “Lady of the River”. The progressive effort, complete with a rather audible theft of “Child in Time” in the opening doesn´t really feel like the band´s home turf. Everything else does. This one comes highly recommended. Due to that petty excursion they´re falling just short of the 5/5 mark. Keep calm and carry on boys, success is in the stars…
Track List
Demon Rider
No Regrets
Slavegrinder
Far Away from Home
No Sleep till Hamilton
Phoenix
Mr. Noman
Red Moon Rising
Lady of the River
www.hrrecords.de www.myspace.com/wearescreamer
