Civil War – Invaders (Album Review)

Release Date: June 17th 2022 - Napalm Records

Civil War - Invaders

Civil War is a Swedish heavy/power metal band formed in 2012.  Consisting of past members of Sabaton, they joined forces with vocalist Nils Patrik Johansson and bassist Stefan Eriksson and released a self-titled EP in October of 2012.  By 2015 the band had signed a deal with Napalm Records and released the studio album “Gods and Generals”.  Lineup changes followed with Johansson and Eriksson leaving the band and a new vocalist, Kelly Sundown Carpenter joining.

The current lineup consists of founding members Daniel Mullback and Daniel Mÿhr who are joined by Petrus Granar, Kelly Sundown Carpenter, and ex-Sabaton guitarist Thorbjörn Englund.

Invaders are their latest release and the first since 2016.  Whilst the resumé of the band’s history is strongly intertwined with Sabaton, the music has its own unique sound which is far removed from Sabaton’s brand and cannot be compared.

The album is intriguing, with a range of pleasant surprises.  One of these is the intro to “Oblivion”, a distinctly middle eastern feel, building in a glorious manner to a great metal track.  The vocals immediately stand out, with Carpenter proving a worthy replacement for Johansson.  The guitars carry you through an alluring journey of shredding, melody, and heavy riffs.

“Dead man’s Glory” is the next track, which was first released in 2019.  This song has a fun melody, which has an almost folk bounce to it.  This combined with the truest of metal riffs and soaring power metal vocals stood out as one of the stronger tracks.
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In comparison, Invaders is out and out heavy metal, with incredible guitars and vocals that are grittier and delivered with intense fervor. The tempo keeps the momentum of the track going from start to finish.
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The only word I can use for this one is “killer”!

Another shift in style leads you to “Heart of Darkness”, this song is insanely epic, it is hard to pinpoint one instrument or performance that stands out, it’s incredible in the sum of all parts.  Absolutely the stand-out track of the album!

Carpenter impresses throughout the album, as the vocals shift from elevated power metal to becoming forceful, intense, and heavy.  Englund and Granar shine on guitars, switching between hefty riffs and fiery solos and the rhythm of bass and drums drive the metal rhythms straight through you.

“Slaughterhouse 5” and  “Andersonville”, while still very good songs, didn’t hit me as deeply as the aforementioned tracks.  There are some very impressive moments within, they were just slightly less memorable.

The album ends on “Battle of Life” and “Custers Last Stand”, the latter being from their 2012 release.  “Battle of Life” is triumphant, a really good track! In particular, the guitar work is exceptional.

In summary, this is a solid and impressive release from Civil War, combining their collective creativity, metal pedigree, and talent to deliver an album full of heavy metal might!

Recommended for fans of heavy and power metal.

Civil War: Facebook

Release Year: 2022
Label: Napalm Records
Category: Album
Country: Sweden

Reviewed by ForsakenMisery