A Distant Planet

Cursorily planing enchanted trad metal exo-lands influenced by unmitigated NWOBHM vibes - at some point, akin to refined or anti-punk-ish, ahead-of-its-time Paul Di'Anno helmed Iron Maiden - while comprised of circuit alumni from Tetanis, as well as former Raging Fire members, is Manchester, New Hampshire's Reckless Force, which, nearing close of 2018, slyly expunged an all-too-brief, yet commodiously ensnaring, four track EP titled A Distant Planet. (Kepler approved.)

Feedback inducted opener "Join the Hunt" is, amidst this eighteen minute sampling, the top, not to mention most balanced and accessible, track, as it reminds us a whole heck of a lot of Tension's indelibly fetching and melodious "Midnight Traveller" from the Saxons' equally short, but ever auspicious, titular EP. Benignantly, front crewman/rhythm guitarist Fife Samson takes on mercurially espoused, chameleon-like avenues between cuts; that's not to say he's inconsistent, but rather, variably tweaks (i.e. adjusts) both enunciation & pitch to said quarter-hour's relatively exotic mien.

Notably, Samson opts for languid, tribal Middle-Eastern croon on two minute long "Sands (Teaser)", which, for my money, could be developed into powerhouse hit single, were it doubled in length, if not padded with extensively colorful and winsome Arabesque soloing. In fact, lead ax man Greg Hoyt duly shines once his ethereal, "smooth-sailing" phrasing attains comparable stratospheric heights as said rhythmic compatriot's oft towering, rocket-ride inflections, alongside pronounced verse punctuation and eloquence.

Again, idiomatic and exuberantly inflected Paul Di'A. evoking vocals - with untold Sean Harris-of-Diamond Head evocative "Ooooooh!"s and "Yeaaaah-aaah"s - haunt this celestially providential affair, however subtly. Though, as inferred, there's no mistaking the scruffier (East) Londoner's vintage slapdash style on "Wicked Woman" (an un-originally captioned original which sounds nothing like Black Sabbath staple).

Upon cessation of piping hot, lead-choked outlier "Prophet" - a 375 light-second end-of-space-line singularity which also brings to mind Tension's senior, delta staffed outfit, Prowler (no relation to Maiden angle) - can only imagine the gang rides the starwaves whilst honing its "craft", in time, hopefully, for compendious full-length induction. That said, "Join the Hunt" details everything needed to know about Reckless Force; thus, making it ideal, ready-to-go candidate for publicity stunt single. Until such enterprise, A Distant Planet carouses, like pierson's puppeteer rosette, whithersoever...