2023 boasts a pretty good crop of all things Power Metal. This is a trend that the RMR crew has already observed since the beginning of last year. From veiled madness to frozen objects, refreshing PM geekery provided us with hours of freshly grated cheese and boundless sugar-filled energy.
So – late in the year – Axenstar makes an entry with their new piece Chapter VIII. The band’s been around for some 24 years or so and should be able to provide some true olde Power Metal that will have us rocking in a second. After all, the only blatant lineup changes happened in the early 00’s with Magnus Winterwild1 being the last original warrior of this feisty troupe. Full steam ahead!
Already the monkish, skull-infested album cover positively screams Power Metal – and probably was one of the reasons why we picked the record up in the first place. Ominous tales of fantasy lore that come with dark secrets hidden in kingly realms. Boisterous accounts of debauchery, magick, and danger presented at breakneck speed with a lot of flamboyant flourish. And indeed, Axenstar roars off into the woozy yonder with power to spare, as good PM boyz must.
And it’s all there. Ten well-paced snack-sized tracks that won’t miss rock radio. So that the raidoheads can dare to play ‘that evil metal’, and boast about it to their friends. Soaring guitars with some serious shredding, spirited blast-beats galore, and the Winterwild‘s high-pitched wails and hollers that will never leave your ears. Axenstar truly put the pedal to the metal with some full-speed Power Metal that’s strangely devoid of shiny accouterments but remains lusty to a point still.
And here we already get to the crux of the piece. You’ll get your fill of speedy Power Metal, that’s for sure. These are adroitly written songs that will reverberate in the fan community, no doubt. But it’s also a run o’ the mill piece, straight down the middle of that mighty stream the cautious PM folks like to navigate in. A galloping construct so polished, you’d probably slip on it, should you step on its shiny surface. Chapter VIII seems to follow the Rulez Ov Power Metal Construction without deviation from the norm. A record without raw edges and sharp points that could draw some gasps. And also one without any ballad visible far and wide.
In other words, you’ll find astute songwriting and great musical prowess galore on this record. But the RMR crew looked in vain for that push to new greatness, snazzy ideas that will blow your metal mind. Instead, olde tropes will battle with rough ‘n’ easy lyrics. The attached video is actually synonymous with this. Technically outstanding, the band performing with no grey beard out of place anywhere, but devilishly boring at the same time.
So, Loki’s miserable minions be damned. For some 44 minutes of sugary wild high-energy metal, we waited for that push to greatness. But Chapter VIII didn’t deliver new excitement. Instead, the record roared forth on well-known beaten paths to its predictable abrupt conclusion. And to add push to shove, the last songs seriously lacked some fresh paint – and polish.
In the end, Chapter VIII ain’t a bad record – at all. And Axenstar are no terrible act as well. The current fanbase will surely salivate over this new album, and it does deliver what it promises. But – we missed some serious added juice to render the old and worn PM tropes more palatable. This new concoction that will kick the delivery up a few notches to cheese nirvana or something. Alas, this did not happen and there’s nothing we can do about it right now. Let’s just wait for their next shot, there must be more juice under that (aged) hood of theirs.
Right?
Record Rating: 5/10 | Label: Inner Wound Recordings | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 1 December 2023
- Aka Magnus Eriksson-↩