Metalwar

Metalwar. Never before has such an appropriate title been appointed to an album. This is the debut album from a Swedish traditional heavy metal band known as Hysterica. The band describe their sound as "melodic femetal with heavy guitars", and that just about sums up their music. The band consist of all female members, but don't let the "Girls can't play heavy metal" stereotype fool you when I say this is a killer album.

The band have a strong 80's vibe about them, but they've also got the crunchy, chugging guitars that are typically expected of modern bands. I personally like to refer to this sound as the sound expected of an 80's band trying to stay "hip" with the times, but not so much so as to alienate their original sound entirely. This gives the band a fresher sound when compared to other bands in the NWOTHM (New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal) movement. The band site Judas Priest as a primary influence, and that shows to some extent in there music, but not so much that you can call Hysterica an 80's reissue by any means.

The album starts off with We Are the Undertakers, which is more of a mid-tempo song powered by a driving riff, as most of the songs on the album are. They're good, but my personal preference would be to hear some faster songs. Other songs like Girls Made of Heavy Metal and (my personal favorite from the album) Devil in Me showcase the faster side of the band's music. The songs are catchy and full of cool riffs, solos, and (dramatic gasp) vocals you can actually understand (!) that aren't full of lyrics like "To Lucifer I pledge my soul as I cut myself and deal with my feelings!" sung by someone who sounds like the Cookie Monster (or Veggie Monster, as I believe he's referred to now to inspire healthy eating habits in children) possessed by Satan.

One thing some people might poke at this band for is their lyrics. I personally don't really care if the lyrics are cheesy, so long as they aren't repetitive (cough-cough-White Wizzard for mentioning the word "neon" more than like 15 times in 9 songs) or trying and failing to be poetic. Hysterica aren't really out to be poets, but the lyrics revolve mostly around the occult, desire, and heavy metal, tinged with emotions and humor. When you hear "He pimps his ride like it's LA, and you wonder if he's gay" you might either catch on to the fact that there's some degree of humor in the band's lyrics or accuse them of not being serious about their music. And if you like to accuse bands of being a joke, you'll undoubtedly be bringing the member's stage names (like SatAnica or Hell'n, to name a few) and their outfits (Imagine a female 70's Judas Priest) to the argument, but I think it's entertaining to see a band perform, not just to play their music.

In short, this is a pretty good debut album. One thing I would have liked to hear are some faster songs, but still, the band's mid-paced approach to their songs' tempos still makes for some cool listening. Anni Di Vil has got one of those instantly recognizable voices that, despite belonging to a female vocalist, sounds like it belongs in music like this. If you're a fan of Judas Priest's more recent work, or any other band associated with the NWOTHM movement, then you'll most likely refer to Metalwar as an instant classic.