WANTON ATTACK is one of those numerous one or two man projects, that have emerged in the last years that expand the borders of the metal scene, free from commercial expectations, since most participants are already members in other bands (mostly in the extreme metal scene).
In the case of WANTON ATTACK both members Micael Zetterberg (drums, vocals) and Niklas Holm (guitars, bass) are well known underground metallers and the will for something more traditional has brought them together.
While their first album was deeply inspired from MERCYFUL FATE (mostly) but also from
bands like DARK WIZARD, early IRON MAIDEN, OSTROGOTH and SATAN, this one
slightly stretches towards a more melodic (someone could say even “commercial”, though
sometimes even the sound of it can cause blisters) approach.
Title track was a quite big surprise, not only because it was sung in Swedish but because it somehow reminded me of Japan metal heroes LOUDNESS and the notorious French hard
rock/metal TRUSH. Think of it. The storming guitar harmonies, alongside with the melodic vocal lines, the catcy memorable chorus and above all the ongoing sinister feeling of
despair.
The following songs are somewhat closer to the debut: classic metal with a
lot MERCYFUL FATE references but with less diabolical maddening vocals.
Frankly, if I hadn’t known that its a 2025 release I would most certainly think
that it was one the Mausoleum label bands that emerged in the 80’s (DEMON EYES,
CROSSFIRE, OSTROGOTH, KILLER): it wasn’t just the guitar sound and performance
that reminded me that, but also the songwriting mentality.
For example, check the song “From the Seed to the Tree”, a simplistic catchy intro, then it transforms into a very early RUNNING WILD sinister anthem. Songs are aggressive but also melodic with a very early 80’s (or should you prefer late 70’s) vibe: There are lots of hard rock elements in songs like “To Tame a City”, “Man & Death” or the title-track but fear not, they are heavy as death.
To sum up, I’d say that this is a great album. If you are into CENTURY, PORTRAIT,
MAGISTER TEMPLI, early European metal, this one is for you. It is enjoyable,
catchy, with great songwriting and quite a lot surprises. Don’t miss it.
‘’ Brinnande Jord ’’ has been released on the 28th of February 2025 by No Remorse Records and is available on CD and Digital format.
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Check the discussion about the album in our forum pages.
