Ελληνικά
Genre: Heavy Metal
Country: Sweden
Label: High Roller Records
Year: 2024
Helvetets Port should have been big, as back in 2009 along with Enforcer both were the next big thing for Heavy Metal. They failed to carry the wage on their shoulders for reasons that I don’t think that is the right time to discuss and now the Swedes return on studio 5 years after their last work “From Life To Death” in which the band ended an era as the album featured many older ideas and the material was actually ideas reworked and perfectionated. For those that may ignore Helvetets Port which their name means Hell’s Gate, the band hailing from Gothenburg’s launched their debut album “Exodus To Hell” via High Roller Records in 2009, followed by the “Man With The Chains” EP in 2010 and finally issued “From Life To Death” in 2019 which was the last work before this year’s record. What we have in “Warlords” is a new chapter for the Swedes. All songs are newly written or at least only 5 years old! But Helvetets Port music has the unique characteristic to don’t give a damn about time as it is never dated and 100% timeless. Their sound is warm and raw and the melancholic melodies fit perfectly with the obscure riffs and approaching. The songs have a straight forward pattern while the eerie vocals remind me of Rush’s Geddy Lee if his native language was Swedish. Speaking of Swedish accent which is audible and for me is quite charming when Witchfinder sings in his native language he probably feels more confident and what we hear in both “Hårdför Överman” and Helvete På Larvfötter are totally brilliant. So the band may sound stubborn to some of you but the raunchy riffs and catchy mostly up tempo rhythm and vibe they ooze may change your mind. Epic touches are spread in the album here and there, many influences from late 70’s-early 80’s Swedish bands, while the choruses are simple but damn catchy and singable. The hard hitting drumming makes the whole result so 80’s and passionate that you can’t avoid the comparison with most of the new albums that have a ‘plastic’ and fake sound. The flow is natural and the album is grower as every time it spins you realize that Warlords is the apotheosis of delightful songwriting with effective simplicity. I can’t name any highlight; all songs are equally ingenious powerful, pure headbangers, elegant paradigm of pure Heavy Metal from the catacombs that very likely won’t bring new audience to Heavy sound but definitely turns already friends of the sub-genre to fanatics. Fans of old school Swedish scene the famous FWOSHM must feel proud for this record that can look in the eye albums from Heavy Load and other huge names hailing from it, and for fans of newer bands like Tyrann, Century, Enforcer and Lethal Steel I guess have already bought the LP…
