by Justin Gaines
– Sr. Columnist —
Sweden apparently has an unending supply of new traditional metal bands, and they all seem to be really really good. Stockholm’s Lethal Steel is the latest band to carry forth the banner of old school Heavy Metal. They recently released their full-length debut, titled Legion of the Night, on the High Roller label.
When you think about Swedish traditional Metal, it’s usually bands like Enforcer and Wolf that come to mind, with blazing speed and high-pitched vocals. Lethal Steel takes a somewhat different path. They still have the riffs, and take plenty of cues from the classic NWOBHM sound, but there’s a darker, more haunting aspect to Lethal Steel’s sound. Part of that is Viktor Gustafsson’s vocal style, which is deeper and more dramatic, bringing to mind bands like Night Demon and Visigoth. Legion of the Night also just has this heavier vibe, not unlike the last couple of Portrait albums.
At just eight songs and 36 minutes, Legion of the Night is a brief album, but it’s also a really tight one. They never let you get bored with this one. A few of the tracks are sung in Swedish, which is unexpected, but not a bad thing at all. Still, it’s the English-sung songs like “Warrior,” “Night of the Witch” and “Demon From the Past” that really stand out. The whole album is really fun, though, and has a production that seems perfect for the vinyl format High Roller specializes in.
Lethal Steel is yet another more than worthy addition to the Swedish traditional heavy metal revival, rivaling Air Raid as the most exciting recent band in that scene. Whether you’re into the newer bands like Enforcer, Night Demon and Portrat or the classics like Angel Witch, Sorceror and Cloven Hoof, Legion of the Night is an album you will definitely want to hear.
Genre: Heavy Metal, Traditional Metal
Lineup:
Leo Ekstrom Sollenmo (d)
Johan Frick (g)
Viktor Gustafsson (v)
Jonathan Nordwall (g)
Christoffer Thyrhaug (b)
Track Listing:
1. Sirius
2. Nattsvart
3. Rosier
4. Warrior
5. Night of the Witch
6. Into the Void of Lucifer
7. Nocturnal Seductress
8. Demon From the Past
Label: High Roller
Website: www.facebook.com/lethalsteel
Hardrock Haven Rating: 8/10
