Riders of the Ancient Storm

Swedish metal legends Heavy Load were reunited after almost 30 years back in 2018 played a few shows in Europe, and promised an upcoming album to the fans. The album took more than 5 years to be released, with an unfinished version of the "Walhalla Warriors" being the only thing (which had mixed opinions due to its incomplete state and some opinions that Ragne's vocals sounded weird) the band released between 2018 and 2023. People thought the album would be abandoned and that Heavy Load was going to split but with patience, the fans got one of the best heavy metal albums ever made!

To be honest, records like ROTAS don't come out anymore. Most bands nowadays release albums that might have a couple of great songs but in every release, there is at least some music that sounds like a redundant, dull, and uninspired tribute to traditional bands such as Iron Maiden, Helloween, and Judas Priest. ROTAS, however, is absolutely perfect! The compositions, the arranging, the sound design, and the lyrics are a much unexpected but welcome throwback to the classic Heavy Load that we all love! A real time machine to The Load's Masterpieces such as Stronger Than Evil and Death or Glory with ROTAS itself being the 3rd masterpiece pretty much like how Silent Hill's first three entries are absolute Horror Magnus Opuses in the gaming community.

Ragne's and Stybjorn's voices have really stood the test of time and despite them reaching old ages, they still showcase the same explosive energy and send the true metal spirit to the fans. One can feel the youthfulness and rebellious spirit of the two brothers, in tracks such as "Ride The Night", "We Rock the World" and "Slave No More" with Ragne still possessing that powerful, wild, raspy, epic voice he had on Death or Glory (On the intro of "Sail Away" we get to listen to Ragne's more peaceful and tranquil side of his timbre), while Stybjorn's sound-color remains unscathed and exactly how I remember it from his performances on HL classics such as “Singing Swords”, “Might for Right” and “Roar from the North”.

I like how this album includes keyboards that have a quite Royal, imperial, robust sound to them As One can hear on “Ride The Night”, “Sail Away” and “Raven Is Calling”. Generally, the way the songs are arranged and orchestrated requires a lot of talent, insightfulness, and of course very advanced musical knowledge. ROTAS mostly has very uplifting songs such as “Ride The Night” with its classic metal mid-tempo structure, motives, and its “ooo ooo” vocalizing, “We Rock The World” with its Fuel-like riff, the East Asian keyboard melody and Styrbjorn telling the listener that HL will rock, shock, break and take the world and the grand “Walhalla Warriors” with its sweet bass break point in the middle, its epic multi-layered vocal chorus and overall powerful performance by Ragne. Still, there is “Angel Dark” which is a completely unorthodox song for Heavy Load. Don't get me wrong, I love the song and its melancholic energy but it sounds like something Rush would compose for some reason.

The album closes with the breathtaking “Sail Away” which starts with heavy riffing accompanied by once again imperial, regal keyboards and choirs, Ragne singing at the beginning of the song with a soft tone, and after that, the melancholy strikes back while Ragne's poetic words that come from his mouth really speak to your heart about the journey he had in his life, as the song was intended to do so according to him. For those that bought the CD version of the album, they are rewarded one bonus track in the form of a beautiful solo acoustic guitar composition which has some flamenco in it, some baroque, and some Aeolian shapes. I think it was a welcome addition to the album and it doesn't tire me at all personally because of its duration! Ragne should send it to an acoustic/classical guitar competition, however! It does deserve an award!

Ragne's playing is without a doubt, absolutely virtuosic to the maximum. The phrasing in his leads, the way he makes the guitar cry with his tapping technique in the guitar solos of “Ride the Night” and “Sail Away”, and how he plays out of the box and not classicistically shows how brilliant of a musician he is! He plays like Blackmore in this record but without the drugs and Blackmore's 70s-80s slopiness and pseudo-experimenting. Also, I think his pinch harmonics sound very full and satisfying to my ears. Overall, ROTAS was in my opinion the best album released in 2023 and a sign that Heavy Load still carry the true heavy metal torch and blow away commercial NWOTHM bands such as Visigoth, Enforcer, Sonja, Haunt, and Night Demon. Also, it is an undisputed fact that they let the behemoths of the modern era such as Anthrax, Metallica, and Ghost eat all their dust while the latter are releasing compressed and plastic-as a Barbie doll music.

When talking about Sweden’s metal scene, you can pick any subgenre of metal and you will definitely find plenty of great and successful bands out there, even in the realm of traditional heavy metal. One of the prominent figures and veterans of the Swedish heavy metal scene is the band Heavy Load, who have been around since 1976. The band’s debut album Full Speed at High Level was released all the way back in 1977 when heavy metal was still a fresh genre, but their next two albums Death or Glory (1982) and Stronger than Evil (1983) are considered classics among fans of oldschool heavy metal. The band had not recorded a new full-length album for a long time, and have since disbanded a couple of times, but have successfully reunited in 2017. After 40 years, the band has finally released their fourth full-length album Riders of the Ancient Storm on October 6th, 2023 via No Remorse Records, which contains some songs from 1986 and 2023. The time has come to unfreeze the ancient rider and let the hot engines roll.

The album starts with the opening tune “Ride the Night”, a full-throttle heavy metal track with vocal and guitar melodies which tells you exactly that you’ll be hearing classic Heavy Load from the 80’s. The band goes all the way from the very start and from then on, they give it all they got, at times even showing that there is more to it than just good ol’ hot rocking and heavy metal. You’ll come across a few slow but incredibly catchy easy rider tunes like “We Rock the World” and “Angel Dark”, which have some Black Sabbath-like vibes from the 70’s era. There are a couple of amazing tracks which is where the album really shines for me, that being “Walhalla Warriors”, “Slave No More“, “Raven Is Calling” and “Sail Away“. All four tracks bring down the fire and thunder with all their epic and glory, thanks to the wonderful addition of violins, keyboards and mesmerizing guitar solos. The album even ends on a high note with the bonus track “Butterfly Whispering”, which is a seven-minute acoustic instrumental with a beautiful composition that is heavily influenced by classical music and also serves as a great epilogue to this amazing joyride. The band’s journey certainly seems like it went far and wide with this album, especially since it contains tracks from different periods which feels a bit disconnected at first or like a weird compilation of old and new, but all can be overlooked once you get down to the general musical output which is at the forefront. The songwriting is indeed traditional 80’s heavy metal with a plethora of strong guitar riffs and amazing guitar solos, but you can definitely tell that apart from being primarily focused on the riffing and arrangements, the band even went as far to include other interesting bits like violins and the acoustic bonus track to further spice things up. The aforementioned four epic tracks are great examples at showcasing the band’s capability of incredible dynamic songwriting ideas and powerful artistic expression as heavy metal musicians, which is why I purposely dubbed these tracks as “The Big 4” or the “Four Riders of the Ancient Storm”. There isn’t much that I could say about the sound production other than the fact that it is very well done and I personally think that you can tell that Styrbjörn Wahlquist and Ragne Wahlquist provided a good treatment during the mixing and mastering of their unused tracks from the 80’s.

Even if Riders of the Ancient Storm feels like a strange mish-mash at first, it is undoubtedly a very good album which proves that Heavy Load remained faithful to their musical roots and it is a blessing from the gods. Jim Ruthless, aka Ruthless Metal, had a good point saying that it feels like we’ve taken a time machine to 1983 since Heavy Load and Cirith Ungol released a new album this same year, and both albums really make the crazed heavy metal maniac feel very nostalgic, especially if you’re over 40 and even been around in the 80’s when both bands were in their prime youth. If you’re a fan of Heavy Load and Swedish heavy metal in general, but you still haven’t checked this one out, stop wasting your time and go give it a listen.

Written for www.Metalbite.com

Sweden's greatest heavy metal titans Heavy Load return from the darkness with their new studio album. Their fourth record comes a whole forty years later than its predecessor and can be heard now via No Remorse Records.

Harmonious vocals kick in with lead single "Ride The Night" before an array of warm analogue guitars, synths and drums pound into that lively and wholesome Heavy Load sound as it they never took a seconds break. The strong riffing and percussion backdrop the haunting vocals beautifully and have that instantly classic, dynamic and timeless sound that the band can take a huge credit for creating so many years ago. As a very rhythmically strong band, it is important not to neglect the soaring and tasteful lead guitars and keyboards which add so much flavour yet never become obnoxious within the soundscape. Equally, the production is rich in subtle nuances and its archaic approach pays off to give us a really nostalgic and powerful feeling to every single element. As the Swedish are famous for their insane abilities to write a catchy chorus, it must be said Heavy Load's hugely anthemic qualities are as vibrant as ever, making sure each track is an unforgettable hit, but more on that later...

Each sublime second is filled with magnificent musicianship and expert transitions that will keep you gripped and enchanted while the bewitching album plays out. While fun, it feels sincere. This allows plenty of fist-pounding, head-banging and singalong friendly songs to grasp a crowd while never feeling silly or gimmicky. Indeed, the excitement to see Heavy Load at Keep It True 2024 has grown even further for myself (especially after having met the endearing Wahlquist brothers at this years "Rising" edition). Anyways, back to the music. The creativity here feels boundless, with songs that may have lain dormant having had so much life breathed into them. Aside from the obvious adoration for playing this music still holding relevant to these pioneers, the way in which they build upon their sound in this new adventure is undeniably a worthy comeback. Heavy Load join the likes of Cirith Ungol, Satan, Brocas Helm and Glacier with their return from the abyss being a total triumph.

I think it is fair to say that this album features some of the most accessible songwriting from the band to date, while their music has always been easy to become enticed by. But it by no means feels compromised, rather that the band have utilised every ace up their sleeve to deliver the overdue return that they envisioned and nothing less. With its orchestral moments lending to the epic nature of their particular heavy metal conquest, this glorious soundtrack is certainly a battle-readied blast of adrenaline that is an exhilarating quest to embark upon. From moments of defeat to triumphant self-fulfilment, there is a range of evocative moods and dynamic twists that keep the story enthralling to the end and thankfully the musical prowess lives up to this to give us nothing short of total satisfaction. It is easy to see the repeated listen value here, as with all Heavy Load material; because it is just so purely enjoyable to listen to and be a part of with them. Album four was definitely worth the wait.

"Riders of the Ancient Storm" is testament to when passion does not die. Heavy Load have never had their flame dampened or spark extinguished, playing the heavy metal they were instrumental in building as wonderfully as ever. As always, there is a moment of apprehension with a comeback album but this joins the rare legions of those that truly deliver the goods. An amazing achievement to add such a tome to their library this late into their career and majestic one at that. I hope this is not the last we have heard from the heathens from the north...

Written for www.nattskog.wordpress.com