Battle Beast is a female-fronted heavy metal band from Finland formed in 2008 who released their debut album ‘Steel’ in 2011. A change of lead singer occurred in 2012, with the band releasing their sophomore album ‘Battle Beast’, the following year – which set off an amazing run of a new album every two years… ‘Unholy Savior’ (2015), ‘Bringer Of Pain’ (2017), and ‘No More Hollywood Endings’ (2019). Sadly that run came to an end with the release of the band’s new album ‘Circus Of Doom’ – released in 2022.
Back in 1984, the legendary heavy metal band Iron Maiden declared “you’re St. George or you’re David and you always killed the beast” – well, there’s one beast that St. George, David, or any other weapon-wielding hero just cannot kill… Battle Beast! The Finnish metallers are back with a new album – they’re fifth in a prolific ten years.
‘Circus Of Doom’ is big, bold, and bombastic, chock full of heavy-hitting anthems that will ignite and excite every sense in your entire body. The powerhouse vocals of lead singer Noora Louhimo are as powerful as they have ever been, maybe even more so.
And for forty minutes, the band power through the ten songs on offer at a scorching pace, the traditional “foot on the monitor” feel most definitely in force. The album opener and title song ‘Circus Of Doom’, is actually the slowest song present on the album. But what it lacks in pace, it certainly makes up for in atmosphere and sheer tantalization. The anticipation you feel as ‘Circus Of Doom’ (the song) progresses is phenomenal, raising the hairs on your forearms to new heights.
And then with a wham, bam, and fucking slam – incomes ‘Wings Of Light’ with a tremendous “metal scream” from Noora. A metal scream that is so spectacular, even the likes of Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) and Rob Halford (Judas Priest) – arguably the inventors of the metal scream – are gonna be astounded! That scream by Noora is sensational, as is the rest of the song, for ‘Wings Of Light’ is much more than just the opening scream. It is a pulsating slab of full-on heavy metal, the kinda metal to get your heart racing and adrenaline flowing. Switching gears ‘Master Of Illusion’ takes us on the mighty anthemic trail – the heavy foot-stomping style of metal rising high to the surface. All salute Battle Beast with raised fists in the air! The opening triple salvo has been fucking fantastic – surely ‘Circus Of Doom’ (the album) is an early front runner for Album Of The Year!
‘Where Angels Fear To Fly’ takes on the air of a symphonic metal belter. The blend of symphonic, cinematic, and epic styles of metal is simply astonishing, ‘Where Angels Fear To Fly’ is a monumental highlight of the album. I have been fortunate to review all five Battle Beast albums to feature Noora – and all I can say is, what a singer! Leaving the anthemic style of metal behind, the album storms on with the traditional metaller ‘Eye Of The Storm’. An upsurge is seen in power, pace, and urgency, and Battle Beast is now doing what they do best – delivering hard-hitting, heavily melodic, infectious heavy metal. Heads will definitely be banging hard to this one.
And the infectious metal just keeps coming, ‘Russian Roulette’ the next offering to tickle the senses. And when I say tickle, I actually mean to ignite a sense of extreme happiness. For ‘Russian Roulette’ is one of those party songs that’s gonna plant a smile a mile wide on the faces of every metalhead the world over.
Keeping the party atmosphere going, Battle Beast actually increases the intensity levels to their highest level heard so far, as ‘Freedom’ explodes into life and blazes forth. The heaviest song heard so far, ‘Freedom’ has a gorgeous galloping rhythm, and a foot on monitor vibe that makes me wanna go out and buy a monitor – for no other reason than to just put my foot on it! Maintaining the previous songs gallop, but injecting a more melodious feel, the band romps on with ‘The Road To Avalon’. Adding elements of the symphonic metal style, ‘The Road To Avalon’ soars majestically, and that chorus – so catchy, so infectious, so sing a long-able! And without a slow down of any kind…
…the band power on with barnstorming ‘Armageddon’. Pulsating and pounding, ‘Armageddon’ is as close to the signature sound of Battle Beast as you’re ever gonna get. If you have any friends who have never heard of this brand before asking what they sound like! Play them ‘Armageddon’ – it’s a certainty they’re gonna like it. And the band too. What a song. And in what seems like no time at all, we arrive at the final song… ‘Place That We Call Home’ brings a superb album to a superb close. The band mix anthemic with symphonic, hymn-like with the epic, and traditional metal with power metal, creating a spellbinding, show-stopping end to an album that is the first of 2022 to make it onto my list for Album Of The Year.
Overall, a barnstorming album from start to finish, Battle Beast simply gets better and better, reinforcing their position as one of the world’s greatest bands.
TRACKLIST
Circus Of Doom
Wings Of Light
Master Of Illusion
Where Angels Fear To Fly
Eye Of The Storm
Russian Roulette
Freedom
The Road To Avalon
Armageddon
Place That We Call Home
Battle Beast: Facebook
Release Year: 2022
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Category: Album
Country: Finland
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire, Metal Gods TV, and Metal-Roos.
