Love & Destruction

The feeling an album gives its listener is just as important as the quality of the music that is contained within. Without emotive content, music would simply be a collection of waveforms which would perhaps hold little more than mathematical interest for the listener. The feeling Thunderbolt manages to capture is the cornerstone of Love & Destruction.

You would be forgiven for thinking that Thunderbolt were a part of the NWOBHM that surfaced during the late 70’s and early 80’s if you didn’t know that this album came out in 2006 or that the band themselves only formed in 2000. Everything about their music screams old school heavy metal.

The feeling I got from Love & Destruction was nostalgia. When listening to this album all I could think about was bands from years gone by. Not that I am implying that Thunderbolt are ripping anyone off here, but they manage to capture what I consider to be the sound of that particular era impeccably.

A huge contributor to the success of this record is its ‘classic’ heavy metal production which is rough edged and totally void of the cleaner elements that make up a modern day production. It sounds as though many of the typical noises that would be stripped out of a current recording have been allowed to remain and as far as I’m concerned it was the best move the band could have made. For me it made Love & Destruction sound a lot more authentic, and I suppose true, to the style they are playing.

Of course the feeling of an album is proportional to the quality of its music and Thunderbolt has not dropped the ball by any means. I can find no fault with the compositions on this disc with all 9 tracks being of strong quality and all equally enjoyable.

Being a classic heavy metal album it’s only fitting that the songs are all heavily riff driven and guitarists Frank Johannessen and Geir Marius Halleland do not disappoint with their dual guitar assault that comprises strong power chords, elegant harmonies and skilful soloing. Tony Johannessen is no slouch as the band’s frontman either with his respectable vocal range and powerful delivery.

Love & Destruction is one of those albums that can be enjoyed each and every time it is heard and can be appreciated not only as a great release in its own right but also as an homage to the classic days of heavy metal.

Scandinavia, mostly know for their Black metal acts and Melodic Death/Thrash bands like Arch Enemy, Immortal, Children of Bodom and go on, but between all those true and evil black metal and those new melodic bands you also have bands who just play in the 80's style. Thunderbolt is a great example of that. So put on your leather and denim and go sit for it!

Thunderbolt plays heavy metal in the vein of NWOBHM. They were founded in 1998 and their first album saw the light in 2002, Demons and Diamonds. This album received some nice feedback. Now in 2006 they are back with Love & Destruction.

The music is just heavy metal with some modern influences. It's not new what they do, but why should we listen too it? Because the music sounds great, the guitar leads remind me of Iron Maiden, during their Powerslave and Somewhere in Time era. The singer (Tony Johannessen) has no problem reaching the high notes and he reminds me a bit of Bruce Dickinson. Where he sounded a bit dull on their last release, here he sounds refreshed. Also the guitar riffs have made a positive progression since Demons and Destruction

The production is also in the style of the 80's and that is the weak point of this release, because the guitars don't jump out, the drums don't hit you right in the face and the singing is a bit far away, but this all because of the soft production, with the music is nothing wrong. So if you are into the old heavy metal days and like bands like Judas Priest, Saxon and Iron Maiden than this is an album for you. Every heavy metal maniac would appreciate this album. So if you are, buy it!

Official written for Digital-steel.com