SCREAMER – ‘KINGMAKER’ (Steamhammer/SPV) Heavy Metal
Review By DENNIS JARMAN
The ever-reliable Steamhammer/SPV don’t just release albums, they unleash albums, point proven by Screamer with their fifth studio album ‘Kingmaker’ on January 13th 2023. Formed in 2009 in Ljungby, Sweden they are a five-piece metal band par excellence, point proven by opening title track ‘Kingmaker’. It flies in on an unstoppable main riff of heavy metal at its potent best. Killer twin guitar work and a chest beating lead vocal sees it stomp towards call to arms choruses and fluid guitar solos.
Other highlights are ‘The Traveler’, a ballad with enough balls to keep the headbangers happy. It’s a bass heavy tune with melodic guitar lines that weave around big riffs and a soul -searching lyric of life on the road in the band. The fires of hell are stoked up by ‘Hellfire‘, another raging riffer, that pulls no punches as bass bludgeon pins it down for unrelenting metal mania and an extra edge comes from inventive drum patterns.
‘Ashes And Fire’ is a 24-carat solid gold epic, that ticks all the boxes. It rumbles along on marching beats and regal riffing to send it into battle. Pulverizing power metal comes from ‘Burn It Down’, no more, no less, tectonic plate shifting kick drum overload keeps it in the fast lane for a tarmac burning three minutes of air guitar inducing mayhem.
The album closes on two bangers! The spirit of NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) flows throughout ‘Sounds Of The Night‘. Razor sharp riffs hack and slash around twin leads and a kick drum driven outro. Finally, ‘Renegade’ is a full-on end to a full-on metal album. It gallops along on gritty riffs and melodic lines to add flavours to a rocker of helium fuelled vocals in the choruses.
Kingmaker album tracklisting :-
Kingmaker.
Rise Above.
The Traveler.
Hellfire.
Chasing The Rainbow
Ashes And Fire.
Burn It Down.
Fall Of A Common Man.
Sounds Of The Night.
Renegade.
Screamer band personnel :-
Andreas Wikstrom – Lead Vocals.
Jon Morheim – Guitar.
Dejan Rosic – Guitar.
Fredrik Svensson Carlstrom – Bass Guitar.
Henrik Petersson – Drums.