ALBUM REVIEW: Nostalgia – Enforcer
Towards the end of the 2000s, the world of all things hard and heavy saw the emergence of a slew of bands intent on bringing back the classic, twin lead sound of the 1980s, but with a 21st century feel; The New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal had arrived. Comprising bands mainly from Canada and Sweden, the trajectory of the wave has remained relatively underground, but bands like Scandinavian outfit ENFORCER continue to bear the torch and ensure that, when the old guard have all hung up their guitars, the sound of yesteryear won’t die with them. One of the foremost bands in the movement, Friday May 5th sees their sixth album Nostalgia unleashed via Nuclear Blast.
Given how some of their scene companions didn’t make it through the first few years – British upstarts WHITE WIZZARD being a prime example – ENFORCER have clearly proven themselves one of the best of the bunch. Indeed, this shows throughout Nostalgia, which is a perfect name for the record given how stuffed with throwback moments it has, from the SAXON and UFO tinges of Unshackle Me, the MOTÖRHEAD-esque speed metal in Coming Alive and Demon and – perhaps the best song on the album – the hard hitting, turn-of-the-80s sound of At The End Of The Rainbow, which could have been an IRON MAIDEN song around the time of The Soundhouse Tapes and the self-titled debut record.
Elsewhere, Kiss Of Death is a lot of campy fun with its lyrics about the Grim Reaper taking souls and Keep The Flame Alive pushes ENFORCER more into the present day than any other track; it’s a bit of an outlier, but the jaunty guitars evoking thoughts of fellow countrymen ROYAL REPUBLIC and THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA isn’t a drawback in the slightest considering how popular those acts are.
Even so, there are a few areas where Nostalgia falls flat. The first is that, despite a runtime of 42 minutes and all but one track finishing in under four, having a full baker’s dozen of songs does begin to take its toll. Tracks like No Tomorrow and album closer When The Thunder Roars (Crossfire) are solid enough, but they don’t jump out as quickly as the majority and therefore can be filed under the title of ‘filler’.
Secondly, and perhaps more tellingly, there are a couple of songs that feel half-baked, where ENFORCER have a good idea going, but for some reason don’t see it all the way through. The first is Heartbeats; after the fast-paced start, having a song which harks back to something more in line with the mid-80s stadium anthems of DEF LEPPARD and WHITESNAKE isn’t a bad move, nor is it out of place with the rest of the album’s vintage feel. Yet, halfway through the song shifts back into a style more in keeping with the NWOBHM, as if ENFORCER got cold feet on seeing it through. The second is the power ballad title track; it’s definitely cheesy and delivers a dose of bombast, but it feels reigned in; yes, you can perform a fist grab, but the impact is less than, for example, Alone by HEART. Sure, not every ballad can be on that sort of level, but it’s very noticeable when the mark isn’t hit in and around that area.
In the likes of Death By Fire and Zenith, ENFORCER have made some cracking albums with massive tunes, but Nostalgia feels a bit of a backwards step. It’s not a complete bust, and those who have more band patches on a jacket than is necessary will definitely find a warmth with the album, however they will also be able to find records that whet their appetite for this style in other places. At the end of the day, this leaves you wanting.
Rating: 6/10
Nostalgia is set for release on May 5th via Nuclear Blast Records.
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