ALBUM REVIEW: Power – Road Warrior
South Australian power metal group, ROAD WARRIOR, inspired by the Mad Max movie of the same name, have pulled together their first full release, Power. After the success of their demo, Ignition, it’s safe to say the fans were hungry for more metal from the Aussie trio. Featuring a whopping eight tracks, Power is out now via Gates of Hell Records.
The first track on the album, Don’t Fight Fate, features some nifty guitarwork in the introduction, hitting that classic heavy metal group, in a similar vein to MANOWAR. With chugging riffs and simplistic chord progression, it’s a great intro into the band’s sound, a familiar feel of the 80s is welcome, especially with the vocal style of Denimal Blake. On Iron Wing has an underlying rhythmic galloping bassline that propels the tempo through the roof, making this one of the faster tracks, reminiscent of IRON MAIDEN’s Transylvania, if only in tempo and general timings.
Devils In Waiting is a track that has quite a few interesting elements threaded throughout, starting with an acoustic progression for the first minute or so, leading into a slow paced hammering of the drums and galloping riffs. While this would normally be a recipe for success, it feels underwhelming, as if it’s building up to something immense and never quite gets there. Halfway through Power, I Am The Hunger blasts it’s way to the top end of the record with catchy riffs worthy of any headbanger worth their salt.
Possibly the heaviest track on the entire record, Tease n’ Torture starts with discordant guitar work, supported by the great basslines. The track definitely has a splash of speed metal in it, particularly in the tempo but also in the themes as well. Right at the end is a cracking, face melting solo performed by Overdryve. Leading on from Tease n’ Torture, it’s a shame that the next track, Sweating Out The Poison leaves much to be desired, aside from the guitar lick right at the end. Overall, it’s one of the blander tracks and is over simplified, despite having some decent potential.
Back Alley Tokyo Woman however, brings the tone and quality back up with an up tempo and fun to hear melodic element. Of course, the guitar work is the standout, with it being in the foreground, but the drum work by Villon elevates it up another peg. The final song from Power, The Future Is Passed takes no prisoners, kicking everything to wall, with dive-bomb guitar riffs, meaty bass lines, hammering drums, and powerful vocals. Right out the gates it’s a heavy performance that propels this to be the best track on the album. At around halfway through, a slower paced, melodic solo rears its head, if only for a short while, but the break from the riffs is welcome. Almost straight away, a groovy bass solo comes into play, once again changing the tone. After these brief intermissions from the main show, it’s back to business as usual for the rest of the track.
To conclude, ROAD WARRIOR have massive potential to hit the classic heavy metal and power metal crowds, and there’s certainly enough talent to make something of themselves. However, with this album being eight tracks long, and enough of them to be less interesting, their next release will have to pull out all the stops. Power is a good middle of the road album, a couple of great tracks like Don’t Fight Fate, and The Future Is Passed, but others aren’t noteworthy. With some time to garner feedback and tighten up their sound, ROAD WARRIOR is a group that has potential.
Rating: 6/10
Power is out now via Gates Of Hell Records.
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