Death by Fire

After perfecting their sound despite such a short history, Enforcer would jump into the more mainstream seats, at least in terms of the traditional metal world post 1991. Naturally, that also means signing to a bigger label and having a bigger budget to work with, thus a cleaner output. Death By Fire would be the end result, working like a “part 2” of Diamonds that builds itself under a fine-tuned scope. Take the same speed metal backbone that has a bloodline running back to the debut, add in the tactics that made the sophomore brilliant, and buffer the raw edges to paint a picture of what’s before us.

Even though I prefer said untreated edges by just a hair, the exact same momentum is established, giving the entire album a boost of energy with its refreshed second lap of fierce riffs and compelling vocals. It may also be fair to say that the speed metal element takes a slight leap into the forefront, but I’ll chalk that up to the one-two punch in the beginning. Following the short “Bells Of Hades” intro, “Death Rides This Night” grips the listener with precise recklessness topped with a very catchy chorus. Maintaining this influence, the next track “Run For Your Life” follows up delivering stellar blow after blow, hoisted high by galloping bass licks and more Iron Maiden-esque soloing. Man, what a way to start the record! Speaking of Iron Maiden, the instrumental “Crystal Suite” has some serious “Phantom Of The Opera” energy, raking in the strongest bass rumbles paired with intricate drum fills. The leads here do a wonderful job replacing vocals, especially with their warm tones. I couldn’t have asked for a better center-piece.

Death By Fire does however return to the steadier sections after a wild wave of borderline thrash revival. “Silent Hour / The Conjugation” is this album’s single longest tune, displaying some of Olof’s tightest vocal work with powerful drum fills that pair nicely with the other more-involved “Sacrificed.” The latter utilizes slowly ascending fret-rambles before cooling and returning to the first phase, showing that they’ve still got chops for the longer haul. Both tunes together erect a nice wall of different influence that would have had a stronger impact if the album ended with them. Instead, we got “Satan,” a throwaway tune that isn’t worth complaining about in itself, but rather its placement. It should have been tossed into the front half boasting its breakneck speeds, but I’m being pretty damn nit-picky with that comment.

As always, melody plays a heavier hand in a lot of Enforcer’s magic. Tunes like “Take Me Out Of This Nightmare,” hearken back to the slow introduction of layers to give way to an otherwise hearty chorus with muscular riffing. If the openers aren’t the strongest songs on the disc, this one is. I also like how “Mesmerized By Fire” works with energetic and concise templates nicely to connect it to the earlier speedballs, working as an impenetrable adhesive.

Objectively, it may be fair to say that this is the Swedes’ best work just because of the deburred edges, but subjectively I still prefer the raw construction and lifegiving honesty of its predecessor. Like before, this is an essential listen for all fans of the speed or traditional metal genre. It saw an already established identity remove its adolescent covering by taking a step towards maturity, and while longer construction was more compelling in the last album, the speed metal wings are spread wide open here. This is the best kind of evolution a band can have, even if they never reach what you consider their peak again.

Originally written for ToothAndNailed95.blogspot.com

I really fucking love speed metal and I would consider Enforcer a great example of a modern band inspired by classic heavy metal and a big bite of the speedy stuff. The reason why I'm so into this kind of music is because the most amazing speed metal albums tend to put their fist up your arse in the first half and make you move like an idiot sock puppet for the remainder of the duration, cranking up the adrenaline (or whatever else is in your bloodstream) to a critical point as the record comes towards its climax. However, one of my most frequent troubles with speed metal is that the structuring of the album or even of individual songs can sometimes fail to lead the listener on that escalating path, whereby the build-up to smashing shit is too long and measured or one song drops the ball, allowing the intensity to fall and the adrenaline to turn into frustration. And now you know why I fucking hate ballads on fast albums.

Enforcer have one great advantage that they aren't afraid to use: they don't try to be too clever. Maybe that sounds like a mild insult, since I'm pretty sure most people prefer to be called clever than fucking gormless, but that's a good thing because the band don't try to outthink the listener or drop too many about-turns as the Swedes started to do on the recent From Beyond. What Death by Fire lacks in diversity and broad-mindedness, it more than makes up for it in commitment to velocity. The intro, 'Bells of Hades', is so short it's like a midget barman with his legs cut off who tries to tiptoe in before he realizes he has no toes to tip on, swiftly dropping a flask of atmosphere and then being abruptly midget-tossed aside by 'Death Rides this Night', which comes in with all the subtlety of a drunk Schwarzenegger in a tank. About a minute into the record and I've already broken my first chair, smashed it against a bastard Christmas decoration that is still up in motherfucking May. The right hands of Olof Wikstrand and Joseph Tholl are going at it like a pair of teenage boys discovering that the best thing on the internet isn't actually games and, while one must admit that the riffs are quite simple, they are very effective and catchy too, not to mention viciously sharp and backed up by frantic rhythm playing.

I don't want to give you the blow by blow of what's happening to my living room quite yet, so I'll try to say something sensible about the musicians before I throw the coat stand through the coffee table. Two guitars is just great for speed metal, even better because Wikstrand is also on vocals, so we get a lot of separation between scrambling rhythm and more intricate melodic ideas, both of which are carried out at roughly the speed of the neighbourhood dogs fleeing when they heard this album starting up. In the guitar department, you can hear a lot of the spirit of Iron Maiden's first two albums (I guess Enforcer have got Killers framed on the wall where they practice) and the guitar tone is comparable though with less mid-range than those releases. Then there are the other common influences of Exciter and Agent Steel, including the dugga-dugga-dugga rhythms that powers some of the verses, though I'd say the melody playing is a step above both of those bands. Tobias Lindqvist probably spent a lot of time with Maiden in his ears too, since his bass work has the same lead style of Steve Harris, rarely settling down to throb on one note, throwing some cool shapes in the instrumental 'Crystal Suite' and giving one hell of a kick to 'Run for Your Life', in a similar way to how I put my foot through my girlfriend's ukulele about a minute ago. Drums are no less skilfully handled, getting the battering from Olof's brother Jonas, sometimes in pure amphetamine style and sometimes with a touch more class. The last piece, the vocals, are classic in style and just shrill enough to make my heart jump (not that it needed much help with the workout it's getting) and just gritty enough to make Olof believable as he goes through the gamut of night stalkers and dark forces.

Now we can talk about the living room. Everything that had legs was smashed during the opening fire of 'Death Rides this Night', while if I had pets they would have been shredded as a final release in the last-gasp sprint of 'Satan'. There was a pretty nice Chinese painting on the wall which turned into pretty expensive mini tissues when 'Run for Your Life' changed pace in the bridge and I went fucking insane with energy. Some flowers have turned up from somewhere and been shoved into the air conditioner, which is actually beyond my reach, so I suppose that came with the blistering twin melodies and lead in 'Take Me Out of this Nightmare' that will make you run and climb walls even if you don't know how to. On the other hand, I can see a tidy corner that means I must have calmed down for a moment as 'Silent Hour/The Conjugation' took things down a notch during its mid-song transition and I caught my breath. That said, the most worrying thing is that a pile of human faeces appeared somewhere during 'Mesmerized by Fire' (the solo just made me fucking lose it), although you really can't even notice it with all the other mess.

Ok, I've just cleaned up a bit and it's time for the verdict on the album. Of course, Death by Fire is a pretty intense speed metal album, though it's not quite what I've just made it out to be. The first half is more electric than the more measured later part, with 'Run for Your Life' certainly containing the most essential moment when that time change drops, while the extended melodies on other songs are pretty wild as well. The lengthy 'Silent Hour/The Conjugation' is the point where the band tried to be a little too smart, which is a minor blemish, as is the unnecessary intro and outro of 'Take Me Out of this Nightmare', without which the album would have been a stormer almost from start to finish. In any case, the prescription that I recommend for Death by Fire is doing housework while you listen, because it can make everything stupidly exciting and breathlessly fast. And you're going to need to clean up after the explosive first listen.

Third full length release from heavy/speed metal youngsters Enforcer. Hailing from Sweden they prove along with the likes of Sabaton, Hammerfall, Steelwing, Nightwish, Ensiferum, Children of Bodom and Vomitory that the best metal comes from north.

With a short and sweet intro, Bells of Hades isn't overkill and builds you up nicely. Speed speed speed is what it's all about and Olof Wikstrands shredding guitar work and speed metals typically high pitched vocals are immediately in full swing with the song Death Rides This Night. And as if you thought it couldn’t get any faster Run For Your Life shows you up and then makes you want to snap your neck headbanging. With well placed guitar pieces this song is definitely a highlight. Enforcer shows you that it is not always about speed, as demonstrated on Take Me Out Of This Nightmare in which they slow down a bit and use more harmonies rather than speedy riffs. This song also has one of the best high pitched screams I have ever heard. Sing-along choruses have become a trademark of Enforcer, with catchy choruses in almost every song, like Mesmerized By Fire.

Borrowing elements from Iron Maiden and Judas Priest they put their own spin on the 80's style of metal, improving the production and upping the technicality and skill required. Every instrument throughout the album can be heard and nothing is lost. Sometimes bands forget that the bass player wants stand out parts as well and Tobias Lindqvist gets this on the instrumental track Crystal Suite. The bassline is very prominent and is fun and bouncy making it the best part of the song. Crystal Suite leads straight into Sacrificed which has a soft intro that doesn’t seem out of place building up to a song that is quick paced with great solos and drum flares about halfway through and continues to be impressive all the way to the end. It doesn’t leave you wanting.

This is an amazing album which wouldn’t look out of place in any collection. A lot of the songs have a similar style of structure which is a tiny bit of a let down, the same speedy riffs and the same galloping drums but this is only a small issue which is overshadowed by the quality of everything else. Being signed to Nuclear Blast they will certainly get the exposure that they deserve. Keep an eye on these guys in the future.

I seem to be in a minority of Enforcer fans for whom it took a while for them to click with me, but having finally cottoned on to their brilliance I am now definitely of the school of thought that Into The Night and Diamonds are two of the best pieces of Heavy/Speed Metal of the past few years. Where I also differ from a lot of Enforcer fans though is in whether or not Death By Fire matches up to that standard, as over the course of the year since its January release a number of fans seem to be hailing the new cut as a startling disappointment. This line of thought I can't get my head around at all, because measured either against the marginally superior earlier albums or entirely on its merits this still absolutely rules and is streaks above a lot of their contemporaries.

After the short intro of “Bells Of Hades”, which thankfully doesn't encroach on too much on Portrait's niche of Mercyful Fate-baiting, “Death Rides This Night” explodes in a total Heavy Metal crescendo that nicely features a slightly more late 70's guitar tone that really puts me in mind of early Heavy Load. This is the big time feelgood style that has become Enforcer's trademark, which continues on with “Run For Your Life” that maybe misses a trick at not injecting a little more darkness in its Satan-style proto-Thrash but when sticking to their guns produces a simple and infectious chorus the scale of “Mesmerized By Fire” I really can't fault Enforcer's mode of attack.

Both it and the side one closer “Take Me Out Of This Nightmare” have a very similar style of chorus refrain to the now almost classic “Midnight Vice” but are far from carbon copies, especially when the latter has an awesome guitar-playing that would not have been out of place on Scorpions' Lovedrive which elevates it to being this album's standout song. On the flip side of this record we first get “Crystal Suite”, which finally justifies the too often-touted lazy comparison to Iron Maiden with its Killers-esque bass solo and twin leads before “Sacrificed” calls Scorpions to mind again, this time injecting some late 80's epic balladeering to a bona fide Agent Steel-style Speed Metal ripper.

“Silent Hour/The Conjuration” sets the album up for a storming finale with its killer open riff and dark-edged and immensely long solo section, but unfortunately “Satan” doesn't quite deliver. Although there is a few hints of darkness and evil and this album compared to the first two this song isn't a serious attempt at forefronting this theme, though maybe a more full on handling of Old Nick would have made for a less disappointing closer. Instead I get a feeling that this number is done slightly tongue in cheek, especially seeing as the pronunciation of his name in the simple chorus refrain is almost exactly the same as used by Gaahl from Gorgoroth in that famous interview, but this one letdown aside there is very little flaws to picks with this album. It lacks that instant classic factor that the first two had, but a disappointment? Not on your life! [8/10]

Here they come, three years after their impressive "Diamonds", an album that set the bar really high both for Enforcer and the rest of the so called NWOTHM bands. Expectations were really high for this, one of the most anticipated heavy metal albums of 2013 (at least for me) and the question for everyone would be, obviously, if they had equaled or even surpassed the degree of excellence reached with "Diamonds".

The answer is not really easy. I mean, I love this album, but "Diamonds" was so big that this one pales a bit in comparison. One thing is clear, those missing some of the speed and agression that was present on "Into the Fire" and disappeared in their sophomore record, will be more than pleased now. Things have been sped up again and the influence of bands as Exciter, Raven or early Metallica is more than obvious here (does anybody else find the riff and vocal line of "Satan" a bit too reminiscent of "Whiplash"?). However, this increase in speed has sacrificed the melodic and more classic vibe of the previous record, something that took the band to a higher level in songs as "Katana", "Running in Menace" or "Midnight Vice". Probably the only tune reminding that melodic side in "Death by Fire" would be "Take me out of this nightmare", definitively the catchiest one and, probably, with "Mesmerized by Fire" the best of all the album.

Again, as in both previous efforts, Enforcer includes here an excellent instrumental, called "Crystal Suite" this time, where they showcase their big predilection towards the early Iron Maiden albums.

Soundwise, Enforcer have shown again that they're very concerned with the production values, recording themselves and achieving a perfect mix between an old school sound and a perfecty balanced and powerful ensemble (I imagine many hours there listening to the masters Birch, Wagener, Allom, Tsangarides, Norman...), although this time going for something a bit rawer than "Diamonds".

Definitively, "Death by Fire" is a great album and will help them to maintain the momentum created with the previous efforts, but I can't help to feel that it's, somehow, a small step back or, at least, not a step forward.

Originally written for Ample Destruction 'zine.

The output of this young Swedish band might at first sound quite sugary on account of it being something of a throwback to older styles of heavy metal. If that is in any way detracting at first, it takes a quick matter of time to establish that they’re a solid band with a knack for good, memorable tunes.

On ‘Death By Fire’ Enforcer intensify their sound. Songs are as ever, consistently catchy. Riffs have the swagger of Raven and the infectiousness of early Iron Maiden. Vocal delivery is extremely catchy and has the almost effeminate, boyish tonality that one would expect from Angel Witch. This is immediately evident as soon as the opening song ‘Death Rides This Night’ kicks in.

Lyrically Enforcer have a strong ‘live for the moment’ quality to them, as evidenced with “kill me, thrill me/move me through the night/leave me when I’m all dressed up for action”. It’s hard not to think of the song ‘Saturday Night’ by their Swedish predecessors, Heavy Load.

Speed metal technique is incorporated into punchy, melodic and anthemic songs that have the same lawless bravado that defines the likes of ‘Executioners Song’ and ‘Evil Invaders’ by Razor. The verse riff and vocal line to the closing track ‘Satan’ sounds like a direct tribute to ‘Whiplash’ by Metallica.

Like many , Enforcer certainly aren’t here to ‘revolutionize’ a genre, but what they certainly do is reinvigorate it with a touch of excellent songwriting and youthful bravado. They should be commended for that.

http://stenchofishtar.wordpress.com/2013/09/20/enforcer-death-by-fire/

Svensk quintet-turned-quartet Enforcer needs no introduction, as one of the heading bands in the retro-metal movement. Their chosen style is one I greatly enjoy, a mixture of NWOBHM with early 80’s speed metal, two genres that together spawned our beloved thrash and power metal. These swedes have decided to remain rooted to that very moment just before thrash erupted from the metallurgic foundry, and as if in a parallel dimension Steve Harris had entered the studio in mid 1984 to meet his fellow Irons and said: “Remember that bloody 13-minute song I had in mind? Bollocks! Let’s do something like this instead!” and proceeded to hand Bruce and the boys copies of Heavy Metal Maniac and Fistful of Metal for inspiration. An unlikely scenario in truth, but the result of that would probably sound much like Enforcer, a band that is miles ahead of similarly fashioned retro-metal peers such as Cauldron, Holy Grail or fellow Swedes Steelwing or Katana.

Death by Fire is the long awaiting third installment on Enforcer’s ascending career and it has sadly been met with mixed reactions by the metal community. Personally, I’m sick and tired of all that “It’s not Diamonds part II!” bullshit. Yes, it’s true that Death by Fire doesn’t surpass its magnificent predecessor in overall quality, but only by a small margin on my account. In fact, this album combines some of the best elements of the two previous records. Musically, is a step back to the unbridled speed and aggression of Into the Night, whose aesthetics brought it closer to thrash than the more streamlined, classic heavy metal tinged Diamonds. Yet from that second release it incorporates a sense for grand, memorable Maiden-like melodies and catchy choruses, while also boasts phenomenal 80’s flavored production standards, something the debut clearly lacks.

So honestly, I don’t see what’s so terrible bad about Death by Fire, sounding 100% Enforcer and providing the listener with 8 potent tunes. The intro is almost pointless but thankfully pretty short. The album really starts with “Death Rides the Night”, already showcasing the band’s vintage but rapid riffage, organic and pounding rhythms and Olof Wikstrom’s youthful soars. Tobias Lindqvist bass playing and tone is huge, it contributes a lot to this band’s compelling compositions. If you fancy old school speed metal you can’t go wrong with any of tracks 2 to 5, though the real gem (as good as any diamond, I say) of the whole LP is undoubtedly “Mesmerized by Fire”, one of their best songs hands down, sporting the best riffs here. It has stuck to my mind like a photo of Scarlett Johansson’s bosom. “Take Me Out of this Nightmare” too, wouldn’t be out of place in the past release, nor on Piece of Mind for that matter. It’s also extremely catchy and shares superb soloing, just like the rest of the tracks, so good that serves as a saving grace in some cases.

It’s custom from these guys to include an ass-kicking instrumental composition, and the “Crystal Suite” is another worthy addition to their lyrics-free arsenal. Like the tune “Diamonds”, it’s divided into two distinct sections, although both parts on this one are metallic, fast and ardent. Then we have a couple of longer, further complex songs that show a more progressive side of Enforcer, somewhat of a novelty, the only one Death in Fire has over past works. “Sacrificed” has a calm and mystical build-up that turns into their usual energetic force after almost one minute. And “Silent Hour / The Conjugation” even provides names to its two halves, the first one being a fast number with vocals which gives way to an outstanding four minute instrumental outro. Those tunes might not deviate much from the “enforced” norm, but are indeed an interesting turn, deep into the album. The closer “Satan” carries on this outfit’s tradition to end their records with the least amazing track, not bad but uninspired in comparison to the rest.

Intertwined with not so great stuff, here lay moments of true metallic grandeur, amongst the best I’ve heard this 2013 so far, and that’s why I can’t do otherwise than recommend this album to any fellow metal brother or sister who fancies this style. I wouldn’t call it a mixed bag, ‘cos for me the awe-inspiring moments outshine the more mundane ones. Yes, the lyrical themes aren’t as varied as on Diamonds, yes, is a bit shorter and its songs not as catchy or memorable as on the sophomore, but it compensates with its own strengths. For instance, its minimal cover is more appealing, though I actually meant its musical strengths. I feel all the bashing this album has received is rather unfair. I understand it might be a disappointment to those who craved a carbon copy of Enforcer’s preceding album, but for Dio’s sake! This is not a bad album at all! Au contraire, a lot of effort was put into it and I believe it has bear its fruits. Still too early to say if this will make it to my own top 2013 releases, but is a strong possibility. Yep, I’m kind of biased when it comes to this band, but I just love what they’re doing and find no wrongs in it. I wish they keep doing it indefinitely and hopefully won’t take another 3 years to mesmerize us with a follow-up!

Enforcer is a Swedish heavy/speed metal quartet that has gained quite a following with their take on old school heavy and speed metal. Though they lack highly on originality the bands’ two albums entitled ‘Into The Night’ and ‘Diamonds’ has received much praise because of the inherent quality of the traditional old school sound. ‘Diamonds’ especially was an album which was considered a gem in the New Wave of Traditional Metal, caught my attention and launched the band to the top of modern metal food chain due to the bands youthful energy and passion that bled profusely. The band sounds like a mixture of the speed metalesque youthful energy ‘Kill ‘Em All’ era of Metallica, melodic sensibility of ‘Cryptic Writings’ era of Megadeth and instrumentality of ‘Somewhere in Time’ era of Maiden meshed together with the power and choppy riff thought pattern which is reminiscient of early Angel With and Judas Priest.

Fast forward to 2013 the band released their third album which has been entitled ‘Death By Fire’. Like on the previous releases the album art, title and song tracks are all very 80’s.. Unlike previous releases the band has this time added influences from the fluffy cheesiness of power metal like on ‘Run For Your Life’ and has also added the glam metal quotient with certain choruses like the ones on ‘Take Me Out Of This Nightmare’, ‘Satan’ and ‘Sacrificed’being reminiscent of Motley Crue and Quiet Riot. I feel that the band could have done away with these elements as they don’t seem to suit the bands personality and contribute greatly in the final result which is a rather bland release. ‘Crystal Suite’, a 4 minute instrumental track is essentially history of the guitarwork of Maiden with the track opening with an early Maiden riff slowly moving onto a ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son’ melodic portion and also containing a ‘Dance Of Death’ type solo. Also, the previous releases revolved a lot around Olof Wikstrand’s high pitched over the top vocals, but this time the axe work has taken center stage which is not exactly the best trade-off since Olof is brilliant vocalist, his voice suiting the band note for note. He added a completely new dimension to the bands’ sound with his John Gallagher (Raven) and John Cyriss (Agent Steel) type vocals because you could feel his passion which added a youthful energy to the whole band. After the title track the band seems to lose its way completely by churning out material that is boring, uninspired and highly inconsistent. The riffs seem rehashed, the vocals sparse and the solos badly constructed entering one year and leaving out the next without leaving an impace in between and in the process not giving anything with any playback value whatsoever.

However, not all is bad. Roped in by Nuclear Blast the production is not over produced but pristine and the plodding bass lines and drums can be heard well behind the guitar work and powerful vocals. The band still does possess the energy and love for the 80’s. Also all tracks leading upto the and including the title track are great songs. The masterful guitarwork and blazing solos on tracks like ‘Sacrificed’, ‘Satan’ and ‘Mesmerized By Fire’ really worth listening.

All in all this is the weakest release from the ‘Enforcer’ catalogue till date. They have never been original but always had the passion to leave a mark on the music they deeply love but here they seem to cover up for the lack of even that inkling of creativity by adding power and glam elements to their music which ended badly the band falling flat on its face. Highly inconsistent apart from the first 3 tracks and moments in between this album is possibly worth a solitary listen. If you ever need a dose of NWOTHM listening to this bands’ previous releases will be a better idea.

This is the third full-length so far from the Swedish band Enforcer. Someone would describe the band's style as heavy/speed. Enforcer managed to come up with a signature sound, which is characterized by various riffs structures that are composed of fast ripping parts followed or divided by short melodies played on high speed. This is something like Accept/Judas Priest-meets-Iron Maiden, as is intricately done in “Mesmerized By Fire”. Also, they tend to throw in some good old rock n’ roll solos along with a general attitude of the same kind. As long as Enforcer manage to keep this sound and evolve it, they have nothing to fear about being called a “clone band” of the great '80s legends.

The guitar work is done by Joseph Tholl along with previously the only vocalist of the band, Olof Wikstrand. Their playing here on this record is less melodic than what it was on Diamonds, emphasizing a rough edge on songs like the aforementioned “Mesmerized By Fire”, “Run For Your Life”, and “Crystal Suit”. Don’t get me wrong with this last one - of course it is an Iron Maiden-inspired instrumental, which means a lot of melodic moments in it, but it is the harshness and the pure energy of teenage anger that makes melodies like these seem like the sharpest blades of war. There are also a few samples of clean guitar intros and melodic solos, as in the intro of "Sacrificed" and even some acoustic stuff in the outro of “Take Me Out of This Nightmare”, which reminds me a bit of The Scorpions’ “Holiday”. Also, “Sacrificed” should be mentioned along with “Silent Hour/The Conjugation” for their somewhat epic character not only in terms of lyrics, but also in song structure (the fact is that they are the only songs that last over five minutes on the whole album).

The guitar work roams over to the bass of Tobias Lindqvist, who is a really bold player with a heavy sound and good overall technique. He is all that Enforcer needs to build up their unique style, which is, of course, emphasizing guitars and high-pitched vocals. But let me tell you something, there is also one characteristic of Lindqvist’s playing that help their sound to be defined. It’s the transition of bass notes to much higher ones when the occasion demands it, such as when the guitars play a twin lead. At that time, Lindqvist colors the guitar lines and brings out some volume to the melodies.

As for the drummer and brother of Olof Wikstrand, Jonas Wikstrand, there is nothing to say other than he is really good and decent as he is the foundation rock of Enforcer’s heavy metal attack. His drumming is practical, but not in a dumpy way. He is playing all that is needed, which means that when the occasion demands it, complexity is no problem for him. After all, he is the one who boosts the energy of the whole character of the band.

Above all, Olof Wikstrand does the vocals as he spits on your face the lyrics of the songs in a very nice way. His voice here is a little bit harsh, but also high-pitched and melodic. The energy he transmits when singing is absolutely amazing and just fits perfectly for what Enforcer is, an over the top heavy metal band.

Finally, the production of the album has a great balance in sound volume between the instruments, emphasizing, of course, the sharpness of the guitars and the vocals. So, in this way we have a very clear sound, making all the instrument lines enjoyable equally. Also, Enforcer managed to avoid the lifeless character that various modern metal productions have. By doing the whole thing alone, they seem to display that they are capable to produce the best sound according to their own views.

So to summarize, “Death By Fire” is really worth the two and a half years of waiting and stands alone as a really great output. So far it is the best album of the Swedish band, combining somehow the rough approach of “Into the Night” with the catchy attitude of “Diamonds”. Enforcer isn’t the new Iron Maiden or the new Judas Priest or the new Motorhead. They are the best band that their generation holds for the world.

Due largely to the supreme quality of their previous album, 2010's "Diamonds", Enforcer have found themselves residing in the upper echelons of the heavy metal tree of late, an enviable position though one that naturally breeds the question of how the band move on from here (signing to the Nuclear Blast powerhouse was a start). Call it 'retro heavy metal' if you must, but Enforcer's sound is not to traditional heavy metal what the plagiarists of the dying retro thrash scene was to their forebearers, for these Swedes are one of a number of acts to have taken historic influence and made something new and exciting with it. That 'new' manifests itself in "Death By Fire" as a greater tangent of speed metal to go with the NWoBHM influences that have been obvious since the days of debut LP "Into The Night". Once the ominous "Bells of Hades" has rung its tomes "Death Rides This Night" launches headlong into riffs of Agent Steelian and Exciterous proportions and rarely looks back.

As a lead track proper it revels in the band's still-youthfulness, as riffs deeply reminiscent of Metallica's "Kill 'em All" days (which were themselves essentially Saxon and the likes on speed) buzz past under the banshee screams of Olof Wikstrand. For the first time on record Olof is found handling guitars following the departure of Adam Zaars (he also of the mighty Tribulation) and while he can certainly hold a rhythm the ingenuity Zaars brought is noticed in the absence of melodies of the stature admired in "Katana" from "Diamonds".

"Run For Your Life" is another NWoBHM-on-speed frenzy with flashy solos buried in the lot, while lead single "Mesmerized By Fire", continuing the album's theme of "the most horrific ways to die", benefits from some classic singalong vocal lines and a slightly reduced speed which inversely benefits it's headbangability quotient. You could be forgiven for thinking "Take Me Out Of This Nightmare" to be a Dissection cover from it's frosty opening chords but Wikstrand's impassioned vocals shortly after lead the song in a very different direction. If this chorus doesn't get the crowds singing then we should all just give up and go home now.

"Crystal Suite" is surely an instrumental that was penned by Steve Harris such is the Maiden influence, and just like most recent Maiden material it's decent structure drags on longer than is welcome. "Sacrificed" could be described as a 'standard' Enforcer song - catchy riffs mingling with a strong chorus line - but it feels tame in comparison to "Silent Hour" which follows it and blends in an opportunity for some well-written vocal patterns into its restrained pace. Closer "Satan" is an odd one - it's back to the charging speed metal feel but broken up by the repeat refrain of "SATAN!" in it's chorus. Nothing wrong with the fun way it's put out there - just that such a brazen glorification of our dark lord seems unusual, even in metal circles.

Taken individually the component parts of "Death By Fire" are mostly in the very high category. The production manages to be clear and powerful without crossing into over-produced territory, yet after repeated listens the singular brilliance to be found in "Diamonds" is missing. "Death By Fire" is a very good record for whichever metal subgenre you care to fit it in; "Diamonds" however is simply a classic for metal and one with which these Swedes will likely forever aim to top.

Originally written for www.Rockfreaks.net

After some months (years?) of small scale touring, Enforcer finally payed another visit to the studio. This time they, along with fellow NWOTHM rockers Battle Beast and Holy Grail, have been snatched up by the heavy metal giants Nuclear Blast. Their 3rd release, titled "Death By Fire", is yet another heaping helping of old school-styled speed metal that harkens more back to their first studio effort, 2008's "Into The Night". Admittedly, while "Death By Fire" is a solid endevour, overall it doesn't quite hold as much water as the last two projects in Enforcer's discography.

The production is pretty solid, though admittedly I'm usually pretty cautious when it comes to Nuclear Blast-funded albums, as I feel theirs tend to come off as rather processed and fake in nature; Kreator's newest record is a large-scale offender in this regard. But fear not, for when all's said and done, that quasi-80's mood still prevails, with more modern twists thrown in for obvious reasons. It's kind of a mix between the last two, if you took the musical nature of "Into The Night" and gave it the production values of "Diamonds". Nothing special, but pretty solid anyways.

The band is in high working order here. Olaf Wikstrand returns with a vengeance on vox, as well as lending a helping hand in the guitar department. His voice on here is not quite as melodically-charged or as shreiky as the last two; maybe it's just because of all the touring he had to tone it back a bit in order to not harm is voice, but maybe it was an artistic choice. Either way, while the man can still wail, he adds in a layer of somewhat deeper, meaner sounds to his performance. Joseph Tholl returns to guitar duties, and he and Wikstrand go for broke with some really nice, complex solos on here, though Tholl's leads are easily much stronger than the choppy rhythm assault of Wikstrand. Tobias Lindqvist also returns for his work on bass. He's really fucking good I gotta say; the bass is good and loud in the mix, though not overbearing, and he manages to give Tholl a run for his money when he performed bass duties swimmingly himself back on "Into The Night". Jonas Wikstrand's return to the kit is a bit underwhelming; while not bad his technicality and speed have slipped a bit on here. He's just not as strong as on the last two records.

Also not as strong on here are the songs themselves. I'm sorry, but I listened to this album like close to five times now...and nothing on here wants to sink in. Are the songs bad? No, not at all. In fact nothing needs to be skipped over on here. But "Death By Fire" is just missing that energetic "oomph" the last two had. We have riffs, solos, what have you...but we don't get the BIG hooks and riffs assaulting your nostalgia, we don't have the monstrous shredding, we don't have the BIG, brain worm choruses. The first half of the album is superior. Openers "Death Rides This Night" and the overused title "Run For Your Life" are a pair of good, kicking speeders, particularly the former with one of the better choruses on here and meatier riffage. "Crystal Suite" is probably the group's best instrumental yet; tense mood changes and pounding bass dominate this tune. My personal favorite on here may be "Take Me Out of This Nightmare", a Diamond Head meets "Thundersteel" pounder with a solidly hooky if not repetitive chorus. But then the last three songs happen. "Sacrificed" and the largely forgettable "Silent Hour/The Conjugation" are more all intents and purposes great songs on a technical level; "Sacrificed" in particular has a really nice solo on it, but these two completely lack the sense of fun and balls-out melodic assaulting the group previously let loose. Only the closing song, the necromantic "Satan", comes close to the first four songs, but it feels kind of uninteresting.

Overall, there's nothing really wrong with "Death By Fire", but at the end of the night it's pretty underwhelming compared to "Into The Night" and "Diamonds". The last three songs are a sad bore, and while the first four tracks are considerably more listenable, even they pale when compared to Enforcer's previous 19 album compositions. Enforcer themselves also still cook for the most part, so that's good too. I recommend "Death By Fire", because if you liked the last two you outta dig this fine, but don't expect a collection of songs as memorable and energetic as those that came before it.