ALBUM REVIEW: RF Force – RF Force

There’s a lot to be said for the wheel. It’s served humanity for millennia with little to no major changes in its fundamental concept. Sure, there have been years upon years of iterative improvements and refinement since, but the core structure remains intact – reinvention has simply never been necessary. On their self-titled debut, RF FORCE treat classic heavy metal with the same reverence as the wheel, adhering slavishly to its blueprints while giving it just enough of a modern polish and sheen.

Within moments of the opening track, the storming Fallen Angel, it’s easy to spot the influences that make up RF FORCE’s sound – the riffs are cast from a melting pot of JUDAS PRIEST and SAXON, whereas the vocals are somewhere between DIO and WUTHERING HEIGHTS. With a punchy modern production, RF FORCE find a pleasing balance between bringing out the innate heaviness of late 70s and early 80s-styled riffery and maintaining the same melodic impact of their forebears. Although most of the band’s self-titled stays relatively firmly in that pocket, RF FORCE occasionally dial the heaviness up or down as appropriate; Flying Dogs tips from trad in to almost power metal-ish speeds, whereas Creeps Of The World bounces between thrash intensity and IRON MAIDEN-esque choruses to create one of the album’s standout tracks.

But make no mistake about it, RF FORCE are leaning heavily on the tenets of the bands that have come before them. No traditional metal album is complete without a slightly cringe-inducing ode to the genre itself, and with its SAXON-styled swagger and fist-pumping chorus, the aptly-titled Old School Metal does the job. Similarly, Fighter trundles forward with a Steve Harris inspired bassline and soaring twin leads before launching in to a very DIO-inspired chorus. Fulfilling the quota of song-types is the obligatory power ballad Will You Remember, which walks a fine line between enjoyably cheesy and a tad cringe-inducing – an undeniably strong chorus steps in to save the day. Although these numbers may not win much for originality, they’re certainly solid cuts through and through.

The moments where RF FORCE’s debut really shines though are where they mix their sound up just slightly, such as In The Heart And Mind. The soaring, harmonised guitar leads are balanced against exceptionally tightly picked riffs giving the number a catchy-yet-menacing pace. With the vocal gymnastics added on top, the track seems to be part heavy metal monster and part power ballad, with RF FORCE carving out something dangerously near to their own unique sound in the process. Beyond Life And Death is another standout cut, its heavy drawl of guitars seeing RF FORCE play with groovier and sludgier undertones – again, going against the grain of everything else on the album.

While there is plenty to enjoy spread throughout RF FORCE’s self-titled, perhaps its biggest crime is adhering too faithfully to the wheel-esque construction of the genre. The musicianship is stellar and the band’s energy and passion comes through across the board. But with only a few fleeting glances of originality smattered across the album, the dogged commitment to traditional heavy metal tropes becomes ever so slightly suffocating by album’s end. For those who can’t get enough of that sound however, RF FORCE certainly deliver and are bound to hit the spot.

Rating: 6/10

RF Force is set for release on April 29th via Black Lion Records.

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