Century is a heavy metal band from Sweden formed in 2020 by the duo of Staffan Tengner (guitars, vocals, bass) and Leo Ekstrom (drums, guitars, bass), releasing their debut album ‘The Conquest Of Time’ in 2023.
Featuring a very traditional heavy metal sound, the band echo the early days of the iconic NWOBHM and more specifically, the likes of British metal bands Angel Witch, Raven and Venom. Century‘s debut is nine songs of old school “foot on the monitor” heavy metal that’s head bang-able and a fist in the air delight! For thirty-six minutes, the band pummel listeners with an unrelenting assault of infectious metal – the blistering ‘The Fighting Eagle’ getting us underway with power and pace galore! Sweden’s long legacy of producing top-notch metal bands is being upheld by Century, who are scorching the Earth with ‘The Fighting Eagle’ – banging the head of every single metalhead around the world!
A stunning start to the album, the band roared on with the more mid-paced but nonetheless heavy ‘Black Revenant’ – portraying the iconic guitar sound of the legendary NWOBHM. Century may be on mainland Europe, but they have captured British heavy metal’s essence! Every song bar one clocks in at under five minutes in length, making for a quick and unrelenting march of metal – ‘Sinister Star’ picking up the pace and galloping forward. The band planted one foot firmly on the monitor, adopting the classic old-school feel with ease, banging the heads of every listener everywhere. The intensity of the album so far has been incredible, Century mercilessly moving on with ‘Victim In Chains’ – and a level of thunder not heard previously! The up-tempo and energetic fury of ‘Victim In Chains’ sees the band deliver the heaviest song on the album so far, the momentum well and truly on the move!
The title song, ‘The Conquest Of Time’, enters the fray with a majesty that no other song heard so far has – plodding on at mid-pace with an air of the old school about it. Century is very much inspired by the old-school sound from the glorious eighties and isn’t afraid to show it – with buckets of it splashed throughout the album. And without dropping any of the album’s intensity, the band march on with the speedster ‘Master Of Hell’, gradually picking up the pace until whoosh – ‘Master Of Hell’ is flying at high velocity with a sound that echoes legendary Japanese metallers Loudness. The heavy metal on show from the Swedish outfit is incredible, banging the heads of every single listener, fan, follower and concertgoer!
online pharmacy order cymbalta online best drugstore for you
The glorious guitar sound of the NWOBHM rears its head once more as ‘Distant Mirror’ sets sail in a blaze of red-hot riffs, planting both feet firmly on the monitor as it powers forth! The band are in top gear right now – delivering a brace of sparkling anthems that hit the sweet spot…hard! And keeping the pace high and mighty, ‘Breakthrough’ gallops on with a classic old-school flavour – Century bringing to the modern day a sound that is over forty years old! Which sadly means I’m over forty years old too!
online pharmacy order stromectol online best drugstore for you
I was a teenager during the eighties when heavy metal was evolving – and if I close my eyes, Century takes me back to that glorious time. Bringing the album to a close is the longest song on offer, clocking in at over six minutes! ‘Servants Of The Iron Mask’ has all the hallmarks of an epic album closer – a short mellow intro building the anticipation, launching into a head bang-able gallop with a mid-song instrumental. A great ending to a very good debut album.
Overall, a thirty-six minute gallop of old-school, traditional heavy metal with tonnes of headbang ability.
TRACKLIST
The Fighting Eagle
Black Revenant
Sinister Star
Victim In Chains
The Conquest Of Time
Master Of Hell
Distant Mirror
Breakthrough
Servants Of The Iron Mask
Century: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: No Remorse Records
Category: Album
Country: Sweden
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire and Metal-Roos.
