All For Metal is a heavy metal band from Germany formed in 2022, centred around the duo of Tetzel – singer for German metallers Asenblut, and Antonio Calanna – former vocalist of German heavy metal band DeVicious. The band’s debut album ‘Legends’ was released in 2023…
…preceded by an incredible six single releases – ‘All For Metal’, ‘Born In Valhalla’, ‘Raise Your Hammer’, ‘Fury Of The Gods’, ‘Mountain Of Power’, and ‘Legends Never Die’. Talk about whetting appetites – All For Metal soaking fans with a deluge of dynamic releases! But at last, after nine months of jaw-dropping single after single, the band’s first full-length album is eventually here! Eleven songs of anthemic heavy metal to play loud, very loud! The band’s self-titled anthem ‘All For Metal’ opens the album with a huge rabble, rousing, call-to-arms feel that’s guaranteed to raise your fists high in the air. The energy and oomph is phenomenal, ‘All For Metal’ an infectious mid-tempo thud that is undeniably anthemic. And with a surge of pace and power, ‘Goddess Of War’ is up-tempo and lively, the “chalk and cheese” styles of the two singers Tetzel and Calanna an amazing combination! You have the rough rasp of Tetzel and the clean, melodic metal warmth of Calanna – what an incredible blend!
Standing firmly and squarely right in the middle of the anthemic metal genre, ‘Born In Valhalla’ is big, beefy and helluva melodic! Less rabble-rousing than the band’s self-titled anthem, ‘Born In Valhalla’ continues to cement All For Metal‘s reputation as a rising force in the worldwide metal scene. With a sound rivalling metal bands such as Manowar, Brothers Of Metal, Powerwolf, and Sabaton, the band marches on with the most anthemic song heard so far – ‘Raise Your Hammer’ a punchy, powerful blast of energy and oomph. ‘Raise Your Hammer’ takes bombastic heavy-hitting heavy metal to brand new heights. And with anthemic intensity higher than the Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt, All For Metal majestically stride on with the ground shuddering ‘Hear The Drum’. The immense level of energy pouring out of ‘Hear The Drum’ is greater than a host of gamma-ray bursts – and for the non-scientists among us (including me), here’s a definition; “gamma-ray bursts are the most energetic electromagnetic events since the Big Bang, and can release more energy in ten seconds than the Sun will emit in its entire ten billion year expected lifetime”.
Bursting into life, ‘Run’ is an explosive blend of pace and traditional “foot on the monitor” heavy metal, the two vocalists harmonizing better than ever! The album, up to this point, has been anthemic-themed all the way, yet the band effortlessly change gear, pushing the pedal firmly to the metal, cruising the autobahn with total authority. And whether it’s mid-tempo thunder or a full-on gallop, All For Metal is able to change its line of attack in an instant. I’ve not seen this much flexibility since Daniel Browning Smith. Who the hell is Daniel Browning Smith I hear you all yell in unison! Well, let me tell you – Daniel Browning Smith, also known as “rubberboy” is “an American contortionist, actor and stuntman who holds the title of the most flexible person in history, owning a total of seven Guinness World Records. Smith owes his flexibility to the genetic condition hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome”. The one-minute ‘Prophecy Of Hope’ is a tension-filled spoken word passage, building to a crescendo, acting as an intro to the adrenaline-pumping ‘Mountain Of Power’. All For Metal delivers an infectious anthem with a sing-a long-able chorus to which every listener, fan and follower can scream! All together now, “mountain of power”.
‘Fury Of The Gods’ is an absolute belter, portraying a party metal feel with huge amounts of energy. The band are in fine form here, exceeding speed limits with ease, the blending of the two different vocal styles as incredible as ever – the growly throaty rasp of Tetzel and the “rock singer” roar of Calanna. And the gallop of traditional heavy metal, too, ‘Fury Of The Gods’ sounding like it just got here from the mid-eighties! The most melodic song on offer, ‘The Day Of Hammerfall’, is an elegant stroll of majestic metal with a crowd-pleasing sing a long style chorus – the band maintaining their penchant for effortlessly switching metal styles. Bringing the album to a close is the hymn-like ballad ‘Legends Never Die’, the band reining in the immense anthemic power of ‘Legends’. A glorious opportunity to raise your lighters high in the air and sway from side to side, ‘Legends Never Die’ is an emotionally charged belter and a definite breather from the breathless exhilaration of the previous ten songs!
Overall, it is a barnstorming barrage of bombastic heavy metal, full of energy and oomph, immensely infectious and highly anthemic.
TRACKLIST
All for Metal
Goddess of War
Born in Valhalla
Raise Your Hammer
Hear the Drum
Run
Prophecy of Hope
Mountain of Power
Fury of the Gods
The Day of Hammerfall
Legends Never Die
All For Metal: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: AFM Records
Category: Album
Country: Germany
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire and Metal-Roos.