Steel

For anyone paying attention to my eyecare appointments, Steel was another album that raised the brows of my tattooed optician in a not too derogatory way. Maybe it’s because I cut my hair the summer before that encounter that she didn’t think I’m a Dungeons & Dragons nerd (I never got D&D anyway), but apparently the cover of Battle Beast’s debut was noteworthy enough for casual comment and it does sort of fit into a very uncool metal stereotype, which has been picked up by some listeners. (“Lamer than your dad”, goes one comment for the self-titled follow-up.) That said, this isn’t quite as lame as all that, avoiding some of the pitfalls of enthusiasm while still ensuring that strong cheesy aroma.

If you simply read through the lyrics of songs like ‘The Band of the Hawk’ and ‘Die-Hard Warrior’, you might feel either a plummeting in your stomach (related to rising nausea) or a soaring feeling in your chest, which would suggest that you’re the kind of keyboard warrior Battle Beast are addressing with their themes. Speaking of keyboard warriors, the sextet (!) have one of their own in Janne Björkroth, who might also be a aid to nausea for those allergic to power metal and this rather odd brand of Finnish cheese. However, I’ve already said this makes a narrow escape from idiocy and that’s largely to do with the power and energy that the band attack their songs with, some of which credit should go to the keyboardist, who pumps outstanding pomp and power into the main theme of ‘Iron Hand’, allowing it to cruise forward on a terrific surge of its own self-importance. The same goes for the other instrumentalists, who never do anything more complicated than they have to, yet balance their essentially hard rock approach to riffing with a boot in the arse from speed metal and an ‘80s swagger that bares itself to ridicule though not maligning.

There are some moments when I’m all ready to bust out my dance usually reserved for ‘The Final Countdown’, such as on the pop rock intrigue of the title track’s chorus, which loads up on synths at the expense of the metal it so ardently professes to be shaking the world with, thus scoring about –500 on the cool-ometer. Then again, I’m not convinced that Battle Beast got into this to be cool, so it’s a relief that there is a lot of fun to be had with all the screaming, catchy riffing, and disco metal melee. On the subject of the screaming, it turns out to be rather a smart move to have Nitte Valo on vocals, seeing as the leather and studs overdose requires for someone who can remain in the upper registers for as long as a kid named Aaron Aardvark, so there is little obstacle for her femininity to overcome, especially when the subjects barely deviate from battles, metal, and steel machines, all of which one could have guessed from a glance at the album cover. The rest of the band do a decent line in backing vocals too, though the keyboards sort of serve that purpose as well, not to mention squealing lead guitar playing up the whole idea of a fat lady singing gospel leads behind the chorus.

Credit where it’s due as well, because if I had known just how many clichés Battle Beast could throw into a 50 minute album (inclusive of bonus track) and get away with it, I probably would never have bought this, because we don’t want to encourage others to try the same tricks. Therefore, major props go to songs such as ‘Justice and Metal’ and ‘Cyberspace’, which get the biggest nuts from the speed metal boon and clear any ideas of sedate rock-bopping out of the way. Slightly better developed cuts such as ‘Enter the Metal World’ and the terrific ballad ‘Savage and Saint’ profit more from gutsy performances and strong editing skills, honing the ideas down to necessary parts and dropping a couple of surprises, as well as the dramatic key changes this kind of metal is built on, yet which are forever undervalued. The three big kickers come quite a way down the track listing, those being ‘Show Me How to Die’, which has all the highs and lows of a conventional pop single with the added excitement of a proper rock band heaped on top, ‘Iron Hand’, which simply goes crusading in an irresistible manner, and ‘Victory’, which – apart from an intoxicatingly catchy chorus – sounds just like a song of its name should.

Of course, I’m not totally in favour of everything on Steel, but it surprises me how little of a fight I put up against things that usually annoy me despite there being little attempt made to address the cheesy rock staples in a nuanced manner. I haven’t made any inroads into the rest of Battle Beast’s discography, though I wouldn’t be surprised that anything laying off on the guitar solos and riffing energy would fall below this in excitement and appeal, plus laying the formula open to criticisms of redundancy through base revisionism. As it is, this is a very nice debut that scratches a niche itch which bites me from time to time.

Battle Beast is a new Finnish band and this was their first album back in 2011. These guys seriously have unlocked the hallowed secret to making great retro traditional metal. It’s all in the exuberance and the energy, seriously. Of course you need catchy songwriting too, but that goes without saying…what Battle Beast has done is bashed out probably the most convincing album of old school metal not made by an old school band, in quite some time, and it’s not because they write songs imitative of any one band. It’s because they play with unabashed balls-out fury and excitement, just like the best 80s bands did. These guys sound as hungry as any scrapped-together band from back then did.

And like the best bands back then, they drew on tradition while also forging forward with new elements. Battle Beast’s addition to heavy metal’s canon is keyboards. I know keyboards have been used quite often in metal as a pantheon, but this is pretty unique so far as traditional heavy metal goes. They play heavy, hooky, driving riffs, but the symphonics give everything a more wild and untamed edge, making it all sound more over the top – unlike the controlled and somber feelings they usually evoke in this sort of music, here we get loud, blaring war anthems fueled by orchestral keys and epic flourishes that just amplify the riffing, rather than detract from it.

But enough about that nonsense. THIS FUCKING RULES! No two ways about it; Battle Beast will roll over your ass like a metal-spiked war tank on steroids. Every song here features hook-laden, smoldering steel riffs that hit like punches to the gut. Comparisons can be made to Accept and really old Savatage, as this is just supremely feral, rock-your-face-off material that never lets up the speed even for a second. Vocalist Nitte Valo only adds to the blistering metal sound, as she is a serious old school wailer in the Udo or Rob Halford circa Painkiller mode. She sings with conviction and bellows her lungs out like she was damn well born to do it. Even when she has to sing softer, like on “Savage and Saint,” she pulls it off with gusto.

All the songs are killer, but tracks like “Armageddon Clan,” the furious “Justice and Metal” and the catchier-than-AIDS “Cyberspace,” the band destroys the world, remakes it and destroys it all over again. Just METAL as hell! On tracks like “The Band of the Hawk” and “Savage and Saint,” they utilize a more vocal-centric approach that works really well, probably because it comes out sounding something like a band of animal-skin clad warriors preparing for a fight against Grendel, or something. Totally badass. They have a really idiosyncratic sense of melody on songs like "Die Hard Warrior" and especially "Armageddon Clan," which I feel will become their trademark, as it is instantly recognizable as Battle Beast, and sounds like no one before them. It's very Finnish, but more than that, it's their own style.

Everything about Steel is just retro as hell, while being simultaneously infused with something quite new and fresh sounding. Unlike a lot of bands coming out these days like White Wizzard or Steelwing, Battle Beast sound like the genuine article, and work their songs with a really pro-level sheen and a true dedication to the old school riff. Not imitative of anyone else, and truly, unabashedly metal, Battle Beast is going places.

Man, how much does Nuclear Blast suck nowadays? When they're not crapping out some turgid, generic material from a washed-up band long past their prime in the label's glory days, they're releasing some harebrained modern metal for people who don't want to listen to pop, but apparently want the exact same thing just with distorted guitars, "harsh" vocals and "metal" riffs. It's not like I even dislike pop music or anything- a lot of it's really bland and goes in one ear and out of the other, but I don't have this pure hatred of its principles like so many seem to. Sometimes a catchy tune is just a catchy tune, I'm cool with that, and if you think a massive amount of metal doesn't use pop hooks and song structures you're shitting yourself. It's just that all the Nightwishes and Korpiklaanis and Sonic Syndicates are as god-awful at writing pop rock as they are metal. The hooks are lame, the choruses are tryhard and cheesy, and the music is simple and artistically bankrupt. Is this really what metalheads want to hear nowadays? Where's the energy? Where's the power? Where's the METAL?

Thankfully, Nuclear Blast must have heard my pleas, because Steel is so metal it makes a pre-pubescent man grow a full beard before his balls drop. I mean, the album is called STEEL for chrissakes and four different track titles have "metal" (or a synonym of) in them. This is pretty much nothing but pop choruses and 80s sounding metal riffs. It's dumb as hell and it rules.

Vocals, despite being one of the less emphasized features of metal, can often make or break a band, especially on the more rock-oriented side of metal and in Battle Beast's case 's voice absolutely makes the band. Her voice absolutely decimates almost every other female metal singer's voice, period. She gives the music a whole new dimension of power, has an incredible range and fuck, she can shriek and wail with the best of 'em. Her vocal lines in the choruses get stuck in your head constantly and her voice has a powerful, spunky charisma scarcely seen in metal. God, if frontwomen in metal spent more time being badass and singing like this and less time being angelic and delicate and posing with their tits out, maybe I'd start to actually take the bands they're in seriously. It helps that Battle Beast knows how to write some crazy infectious riffs, too- they take huge cues from 80s glam rock, but don't worry; Battle Beast doesn't sound like Def Leppard (thank fuck); there's a solid traditional metal backbone that gives it some bite. Strangely enough, though, these guys are actually better when they stick to just playing dumb pop music: "Armageddon Clan" and "Steel" are the two best tracks on this album, and the best parts of the songs are usually the choruses. When they try to shake it up a little bit, the songs tend to become less interesting, such as the solos on "Steel". I'm not a guitarist, so I don't really go for the shredding variety of solos, more the weird, abstract kind (Trey Azagthoth, for an easy example), and the solos on the title track are typical. Flashy, but typical. Yes, Steel is simulataneously the best song and the song with one of the weakest moments on the album, fuck you it doesn't have to make sense SHAKE THE WOOOOOORLD WITH METALLLLLLL

Now, there's no real shortage of glam-influenced trad metal with catchy riffs and pop hooks (especially not these days), but this is so awesomely stupid and focuses almost entirely all its energy on just rocking the fuck out in a way that almost no one does anymore. Everyone has to be some sort of tortured, pretentious artist to be seen with any sort of legitimacy. Battle Beast doesn't give a shit. "What's that? Your concept album chronologically describes your inner self? Who gives a shit, let's just be metal as fuck and bang our heads until we've killed enough brain cells to be deemed legally retarded" is what Battle Beast says to that. Wise words, Battle Beast. Now, this album certainly is very singular-minded, simple and insanely catchy; there are a couple problems that these qualities combined can produce. One, it's very easy to over-play this album and burn out on it because you're sick of it. Two, albums like this have a tendency to not hold up well at all over time. While Steel certainly isn't packed with ideas that will slowly reveal themselves over time, this is always a great album to put on if one ever gets a craving for some sugary poppy music with earworm hooks like I do from time. I'm certainly not going to call this a genre-defining masterpiece, but it's does exactly what it sets out to do with more balls (but less testicles) and style than most. A cut above the rest. C'mon, admit it, you can't help but put this on and dance like an androgynous glam singer.

Well, now that's what I call a positive surprise. When I heard that the Finnish troupe Battle Beast had won the Wacken Metal Battle bandcontest in 2010, I didn't really think much of them at first. Too many "band contest winning" bands had been more or less a disappointment to me recently. So I did not really pay any further attention to the band... until I saw them perform as an opening act for Nightwish early in 2012. And did they ever steal the show.

It's rare that a support band manages to captivate me from the first notes on, especially if you're expecting something entirely different (from a support act for Nightwish, that is) - because instead of mellow operatic female vocals accompanying bulging orchestral arrangements, Battle Beast deliver true, classic heavy metal live, and also on CD. Now to be honest, I was more impressed with lead singer Nitte Valo's vocals live than in the studio; for though her performance here is quite impressive and powerful as well, it was really in the live situation that she seemed to thrive. Bone-shattering screams, powerful high range passages and sufficient rasp and roughness on the vocal chords - that's a surprising mixture for a female front singer, and one that works exceptionally well for Battle Beast.

Sure, the lyrics are terribly cheesy at times, and sometimes you can't help but shake your head at some of the passages ("Show me how to die / Life is not enough / I need to die"), but the most important thing about Battle Beast's debut outing is that it's just a ton of fun to listen to. There are scorching solos, there are driving riffs, and very impressive vocal work, and it's all neatly packaged in a tremendously well-produced sound package.

But if you enjoy some classic heavy metal in the vein of bands like Judas Priest, W.A.S.P., Manowar or Hammerfall, then Battle Beast is definitely a band worth checking out: The opening track "Enter the metal World" kicks off the album with a fantastic riff and drive, "The Band Of The Hawk" incorporates some acoustic guitars into the otherwise predominantly amplified sound of the Beast, and "Justice and Metal" ends up being one of the funnier songs on the album while the title track "Steel" is simply heavy metal in its purest form.

The Finns even manage to include a rather well-crafted ballad on their debut outing in "Savage and Saint", and "Cyberspace" as well as "Iron Hand" won't leave your ear once they've first set ethereal foot in there.

All in all, Battle Beast are surpringly consistent on their first album, however if there's one thing they are still missing, then it's that one stand-out track; that one big single hit that everyone will know for years to come and that will be sung along to in metal bars and pubs all across the globe. Nonetheless, Battle Beast have delivered a more than remarkable debut with "Steel", and it will be very interesting to follow the career of this unusual band. All ye warriors out there, put on your armor and oil your blades; "Steel" will have some fitting battle hymns for you!

Back in my days as a young, impressionable high school reject, I happened upon a particular poet in class by the name of Edwin Arlington Robinson. Particularly captivating was the cynical realism with a dab of classicism that was portrayed in his work Miniver Cheevy, depicting a hopeless drunk who wished for a different world. I was particularly taken by the character’s insistence on trying to relive the past, as it sort of played into a recent interest I’d developed in 80s metal after a brief stint as a grunge enthusiast. But alas, in those depressing days that were the mid 1990s there was little metallic glory to reflect the old school, but present times seem to tell an altogether different tale.

While 80s oriented heavy metal revivalism has been something of a hot topic the past few years, there’s only been a few bands that have gone for an outright retro feel to the point of sounding like a really campy cross between “Metal Heart” era Accept and the closing days of Warlock, of which Battle Beast can happily claim a rather auspicious niche. There’s been many a naysayer who simply dismiss this recent Finnish phenomenon with a sarcastic tone directed at the low-fi album art, but this outfit does not play music with their album art anymore than Manowar did. This is a band that knows the value of keeping the formula simple while still occasionally giving the guitars and vocals some time to mix things up. Sure, the lyrics might lack in socio-political or philosophical depth, but a world ruled only by uppity Dream Theater clones is a world not worth living in.

The general breakdown of things is fairly streamlined and straightforward, settling for a mid tempo groove and a tried and true riffing approach. The up-tempo gallop of “Die-Hard Warrior”, the mellow bluesy shuffle with a brilliant air in “The Band Of The Hawk” and the crooning familiarity of the token ballad “Savage And Saint” would all be clear nods to Hammerfall in and of themselves, but this album is generally dominated by the first two approaches listed and presented in a much less modern fashion. The production leans heavily towards a larger than life 1985 flavor, vocalist Nitte Valo literally sounds like a perfect hybrid of Udo and Doro, and the songs are so formulaic it hurts. The only thing really non-retro about this is the keyboard parts, which are a bit more in line with recent Finnish power metal trends among the likes of Dreamtale and Celesty, but it works quite well and ads a needed bit of originality to a very good yet highly derivative approach.

All of the serious folk might consider me too easy to please, but I ask only that my metal kick ass rather than defy existing paradigms, and “Steel” is a rock solid boot in the keester. It’s an album that might wear itself out over time due to a very simplistic format and an almost one-dimensional appeal to celebratory fanfare, so watch out for accidental lighter burns on your thumb and maybe switch this album up with some revivalist thrash metal in order to fully relive the 80s experience without resorting to the originals. But it would also be a good idea for fans of the old guard to take a look at this, if for no other reason than to be proud that the next generation is staying faithful to the forefathers.

In the case of Battle Beast's debut full length Steel, the cover art perfectly depicts the music beneath it. The image is amateurish, looking as if a middle schooler lost in a fantasy world sketched it on his desk in the middle of chemistry, not realizing that he is restricting himself in the intelligence department by not paying attention in the process. Couple that with the desperately "metal" logo and band name, and one could surmise that this is somebody who has dreams that far surpass his ability to actually make them come true. Well, this band is no different. Battle Beast plays a bare bones 80's heavy metal style with some anthemic keyboards sprinkled underneath, and the results mostly end up faring just as cheesily as its laughable cover. This is simply stupid power metal at its most unremarkable.

Built upon mid-paced riffs that are liberally borrowed from the heydays of bands like Dio and Dokken, most songs on Steel completely fail to stand apart from one another. Combine that with the mind-numbingly repetitive choruses (most evident on the painful "The Band of the Hawk"), and the charm the album exudes during its first half quickly fades into oblivion with its second. In the midst of this hairspray-polluted fairyland, only female vocalist Nitte Valo provides a convincing performance, putting forth just as much power, grit, and range as any man could, even if her voice does sound a bit overwrought at times. Unfortunately, her inspiration just makes the ridiculously juvenile lyrics more disappointing. I'm sorry, but I'd personally like to see more effort than songs titled "Justice and Metal" (chorus repeated ad nauseum) and "Enter the Metal World." We get it; you're a fucking metal band. Grow up.

Granted, the album does have a few strengths, mostly coming in the form of some songs several cuts above the rest. "Armageddon Clan" strikes with a fierce power missing from the rest of the mix, and I must reluctantly admit that the title track is insanely catchy despite its lyrics making me want to hurl. "Victory" is a memorable closer, going for a subtler power than the other tracks. However, the highlights are simply too sparse to warrant listening to this again. Steel is a mildly enjoyable album upon first listen, but in its attempt to win me over with repetition, its overly insistent onslaught of melody only drives me away from it. I can see how this brand of empty-headed metal might appeal to those looking for a good time, but for me, the proceedings are a just a tad too dumb. Maybe next time will be different.

(http://metallicfaithimmortal.blogspot.com/)

We all like our music to have complexity and originality, but sometimes, you just feel the irrational need to turn off all higher brain functions and just rock out. And it is for this reason that Battle Beast and their debut album, Steel, exist. And holy fuck, what an album it is!

Usually, a good album with have a healthy mix of fast-paced thrashers, slower ballads, and mid-paced anthems; the entirety of Steel is comprised of mid-to-fast paced anthems and epics constructed solely for the listeners to pump their fists and sing along. In many of the great metal albums of the past, innovation and originality are abundant or at least present; Steel has all the innovation of a McDonald's restaurant. So then, why am I giving this album such a high rating, you ask? BECAUSE IT KICKS ASS, THAT'S WHY!

"Enter the Metal World" throws us right into the fray with a very Dio-esque riff leading into a rather calm verse laden with some ambient synths and galloping guitar leads before the first of the album's many rockin' choruses slams you in the face. You might think this would be a tough act to follow, but then "Armageddon Clan" comes along; starting inconspicuously enough with some ambiance spiced with hi-hats, but one of Nitte Valo's signature shrieks pierces the silence, and another ass-kicker of a track begins.

That seems to be the entire theme of the album, really: kicking ass. "Justice and Steel" races at high speeds to deliver more simplistic, fist-pumping anthem action before being followed up by "Steel," which is probably one of the weaker tracks here. This would lead you to believe that it's not awesome, but that's not the case at all; it's still just as forceful and catchy as anything else--it just so happens to be a bit more predictable, really. We're not even halfway through yet, but the rest of the album pretty much follows suit with tracks like "Die-Hard Warrior" and "Show Me How to Die," featuring even more infectious hooks and solos for us to enjoy.

Now, while I always insist that lyrics aren't vital to a song's quality, I will give you this: bad lyrics can make a bad song even more worse, but good lyrics can make a good song even...gooder. With that said, the lyrical content of Steel is pretty much generic awesome stuff like war and tiger soldiers and JUSTICE AND METAL, but I was in for a special little surprise, and you may be, too: "The Band of the Hawk," "Iron Hand," and "Victory" all pertain to the famous Berserk manga and anime series. The references may be irrelevant to those unfamiliar to Berserk, but I can guarantee you that knowledge of the source material is not required for these tracks to please your inner metalhead.

Battle Beast is going to be a name I follow from now on, if they continue to release stuff like this. If you're looking to relive the good old 80s heavy metal experience, where simply being awesome was all you needed to have a good time, then look no further: Steel will deliver all of that and more.

Sweden has been getting all the praise lately; with a burgeoning retro-heavy metal frontline poised to take over the scene, what can the rest of the world offer up? Can anything best, for instance, Portrait's two fantastic efforts?

Not really, no. Without drawing a comparison between Tarot and Wolf, let's just say that Sweden seems to have a corner on the market. But dammit if Battle Beast isn't awesome as shit, even if the band suffers from a complete lack of originality and, basically, creativity. What "Steel" represents is a battle-hardened formula destined to capture those of us who have gotten previously drunk from the unholy waters of solid, riff-heavy, soaring traditional metal.

At times bordering on a kind of pop metal, light on the complexity and heavy on the hooks, and the keyboards, you'd think this album wouldn't be one of a kind. And it's *almost* not. But there's just something about the infectious and charismatic voice of Nitte Valo that commands the connoisseur of heavy metal to pay some goddamn attention. As mentioned, it helps that the vocal lines and the riffs and leads are all very hooky, with each song offering a distinct flavor of catchiness while managing to avoid the tedium of samey song structure without resorting to many gimmicks. A few of the choruses may not be terribly far apart, and the keys are certainly "abused" to make up for a lack of innovative and voluminous guitar work, but for the most part this is an album whose pros more than match its cons.

Cheers to Battle Beast for making an album that, on paper, sounds to me simply awful. Bombastic keys, some decent riffs but nothing to write your Swedish pin pal about, and perhaps the gimmick of female vocals (though this is certainly debatable, and Valo is an extremely competent front for the band, possessing a confident vibrato and a true penchant for memorable delivery).

Heavy metal will never age so long as bands like this inject new energy into its veins.