REVIEW: STORMWARRIOR - Heathen Warrior

 

STORMWARRIOR - Heathen Warrior (2011)

Massacre Records

For a long time, most of us filed STORMWARRIOR under “good clones”: HELLOWEEN mostly, RUNNING WILD too, and something close to the most recent ENFORCER. The band did little to shake that image, and its own statements and actions over the years pointed the same way. But everything has an end, and “Heathen Warrior” feels like the bridge between the good old STORMWARRIOR and a new, better one.

Don’t worry, this is still traditional heavy metal. The difference is that the guys have finally found a sound of their own. They started that effort on the previous release, and here it comes together. IRON MAIDEN and RUNNING WILD are still in the blood, while the HELLOWEEN side is much quieter, “Ravenhearte” being the one clear exception. Still, nobody is copying anybody here. The band takes what the 80’s legends gave it and runs it through its own playing and its own point of view. If you’ve followed them as long as I have (I’ve been listening since the demo tapes), you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

If you’ve never heard the band, no problem. You get a solid dose of European traditional metal and you don’t need any history to enjoy it. What caught me off guard is the work on the lead guitars and solos. You can hear the care in every detail, and it gives the songs real personality. The production stays clear and gives every instrument its space, as it did before.

This is STORMWARRIOR’s most mature album so far, and one you should check out. My picks are “The Ride of Asgard”, “Bloode to Bloode”, “Ravenhearte” and, my favourite by some distance, “Fyre & Ice”.

Nick Parastatidis