Dark Revolution

To the joy of fans the world over, Tokyo Blade confirmed to us that 2018's "Unbroken" wasn't a one-off affair by announcing and then releasing this album. In the interviews prior to release, band members described the music as being darker in both tone and lyrical content, reflecting the current state of the world at the moment. Needless to say I was excited and intrigued.

In one of those same interviews singer Alan Marsh said that, "We have always been envious of Accept's guitar sound..." and that is immediately evident on the opening track "Story of a Nobody", which sounds like if "Balls to the Wall" was played at a faster tempo, not that I have a problem with Accept, mind you, I just don't want Tokyo Blade to become 'Accept-Lite'. This similarity becomes less obvious once Marsh starts singing though, so all's good.

From here a pattern begins to emerge. It's somewhat trivial, but I noticed it on my second listen-through: 7 out of the 11 songs all begin with a drum fill, most of which are interchangeable with each other. I know the band isn't trying to break new-ground here and reinvent the steel, but it's a little silly. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it is noticeable. That being said, it reminds me of the 1987 Whitesnake album, where four songs begin with a guitar slide by John Sykes, it maybe silly, but that album kicks ass, so...

There are a few weaker tracks here, the biggest offender being "Crack in the Glass", a wholly forgettable rocker. "Perfect Enemy" brings a welcome change of pace with a more accessible, catchy song, but it isn't until the closing tracks that things get interesting. I noticed on the previous album that Marsh's voice at times mirrors that of James Hetfield's. These songs proves that wasn't a fluke. It doesn't seem to be intentional and I'd reckon that it's a byproduct of Marsh's voice changing with age. It does bring Metallica to mind though with these last three songs, particularly on "Not Lay Down and Die", a standout track on the album. The renewed energy and emphasis on grit help keep the band fresh, though it does detract from their greatest strength: the melodies (if only slightly). A few tracks on here seem to prioritize aggression over melody and they suffer for it. Again this is a minor problem that only rears its head now and then.

Undoubtedly the pandemic has affected the sound of this album, it's angrier, meaner, more defiant than anything made previously by Boulton and crew, The lyrics reflect frustration with the power-that-be and the incompetence with which they've been handling things. In this respect, "Dark Revolution" is a more than apt title for this more-than-satisfying follow-up to "Unbroken". Here's hoping the boys continue to release more of what we crave.