ALBUM REVIEW: Feed The Fire – Trial

Having a new band member can be nerve-wracking for any band. However, on an album, it can be easy for it to sound like nothing has changed. On the other hand, this only works until the singer is replaced. Then the difference is noticeable. This is the case for TRIAL. Having added the country tag of (Swe) to their name 2017 in order to distinguish themselves from the many other bands who go under that name, their new album Feed The Fire is the first with new vocalist Arthur W. Andersson. It is also the band’s first album since 2017’s Motherless. However, they didn’t just spring the new vocalist onto fans. Instead, they released 2021’s Sisters Of The Moon EP to serve as something of an introduction for Andersson.

Even though fans have been introduced to the new vocalist via an EP, there is something different about an album. Thankfully, fans needn’t have worried. Despite the slow introduction song, Tria Prima, this album goes full force. It is almost as if the first song was a calm before the storm. Sulphery starts off with a riveting guitar solo before Andersson‘s voice comes in. He sounds fantastic, and his voice suits the music perfectly. This makes sense, as lead guitarist Alexander Ellström said that after hearing Andersson‘s voice he held the desire to write more up-tempo songs.

And thankfully, TRIAL suit the sound well. The production is the most impressive thing about the album; it makes the songs fit together nicely. Despite the fact that the majority of the songs are over five minutes long, most do not sound too long. There are some exceptions though, for example, Snare Of The Fowler is almost seven minutes long and it ends up sounding like it is never going to end. Whilst this does slow the pacing down a bit, it is not too much of an issue.

The main issue of the album is that the sound is not very original. Unfortunately, TRIAL sound like any other 80s metal band, even though their debut album was only released almost ten years ago. Whilst it might be good that they are keeping that sound alive, quite a few bands are also taking that 80s nostalgia and putting it into their work. Therefore, it just feels a little underwhelming.

In conclusion, the band sound like they are having plenty of fun on the album. The passion is clear, and it is certain that the five-year break between albums has done them good. Whilst the sound might not be completely original and pacing is sometimes affected, this is clearly a passion project for TRIAL. Andersson‘s vocals suit the music well, and the up-beat tempo is fantastic and suits the band very well. Unfortunately, relying on 80s metal as their choice of genre does leave them lacking originality. However, if you like that stuff, then this could be the album for you.

Rating: 6/10

Feed The Fire is set for release on September 2nd via Metal Blade Records. 

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