Heavy Load are a heavy metal band from Sweden founded in the late seventies by brothers Ragne (guitar, vocals, keyboards) and Styrbjorn Wahlquist (drums, vocals). The band’s debut album ‘Full Speed At High Level’ was released in 1978, Heavy Load was one of Sweden’s first-ever metal bands, if not the first! The band were prolific during the early eighties, releasing three albums in just three years – ‘Metal Conquest’ (1981), ‘Death Or Glory’ (1982), and ‘Stronger Than Evil’ (1983) before breaking up and going on hiatus for an incredible forty years…
…‘Riders Of The Ancient Storm’ Heavy Load‘s “comeback” album! Featuring the brothers Wahlquist at the heart of the band, the line-up is completed by bass player Torbjorn Ragnesjo and (second) guitarist Niclas Sunnenberg, for the eight song fifty minute new album! An album that resonates perfectly with the essence of early eighties heavy metal – especially the barnstorming album opener ‘Ride The Night’. Planting it’s foot firmly on the monitor to adopt the iconic pose of traditional heavy metal, ‘Ride The Night’ features the classic sound and gallop of the NWOBHM evolution – an evolution that Heavy Load were a part of! So glad to hear the band hasn’t lost sight of their roots – roots which are heavily rooted in old-school heavy metal. Switching gears to a slower tempo, ‘We Rock The World’ launches head first into anthemic territory, stomping the ground hard as it majestically marches forth. With ‘We Rock The World’, not only do the band make a loud and proud statement of intent, but Heavy Load have crafted a new metal rock anthem for every metalhead and rocker to salute with fists held high in the air!
And maintaining the anthemic feel, ‘Walhalla Warriors’ marches on with much more oomph than ‘We Rock The World’, the band creating a wonderful atmosphere where every listener, fan, follower and (ultimately) concertgoer come together as one clan, uniting for heavy metal – the rabble-rousing call to arms nature of both these songs simply incredible! Eat your hearts out anthemic metallers such as Manowar and Saxon – the Heavy Load boys are back in town! Moving to a more melodic realm, ‘Angel Dark’ is one of those boundary-breaking, genre-straddling songs that appeals equally to both metal and rock fans – the chorus a glorious sing a long-able affair that everyone will join in with. Heavy Load may be in the twilight of their career, but they’re showing a phenomenal amount of energy and drive, much more than some of the newer bands around at the moment! Take heed all you youngsters, this is how to metal! Clocking in at eight and a half minutes in length, ‘Slave No More’ is the longest song on offer, and is pure old school all the way – even going back as far as the seventies with a touch of the menace and doom that legends Black Sabbath brought forth. The atmosphere of ‘Slave No More’ is sinister, Heavy Load frightening a few listeners with a tension-fueled swagger of darker metal.
With a sudden upturn in energy and pace, ‘Raven Is Calling’ gallops forth, banging heads hard and delivering the kinda performance every traditional metaller loves! The band keep their feet firmly on the accelerator, cruising by with consummate ease, ‘Raven Is Calling’ a perfect example of the iconic NWOBHM sound. And almost immediately we’re off to the realm of anthemic doom come mid-tempo hymn-like heavy metal courtesy of ‘Sail Away’ – Heavy Load throwing every style of metal in their huge arsenal at listeners. Well, not quite every style, for the album’s finale is a seven-minute-long acoustic instrumental! An instrumental led by the solo guitar work of Ragne – mellow, soulful and serene are just three of the many words I could have used to describe ‘Butterfly Whispering’.
Overall, traditional heavy metal as it should sound, ‘Riders Of The Ancient Storm’ is infectious and loaded with a mighty eighties feel.
TRACKLIST
Ride The Night
We Rock The World
Walhalla Warriors
Angel Dark
Slave No More
Raven Is Calling
Sail Away
Butterfly Whispering (bonus)
Heavy Load: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: No Remorse Records
Category: Album
Country: Sweden
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire and Metal-Roos.
