Enforcer - Into the Night

January 8, 2010

Reviewer: Peter

These days, it seems that everything that is old is new again.  And nowhere is that more evident than in the heavy metal music scene, where a sudden growth in the retro thrash movement has become something of a trend in recent years.  Now, “retro is in” has now extended to the NWOBHM scene, only this time, it is Swedish band Enforcer that attempts to recreate the style.  Their effort is captured on the new album Into the Night.  It is safe to say that the band is definitely an acquired taste, with some rewards.

When the opening notes to the track “Black Angel” hit, the first immediate thought that is likely going to surface is that Enforcer is dangerously close to parody status.  The parody status shines even brighter when the vocals of Olof Wikstrand hit.  Obviously, the vocals will be an acquired taste, if you ever do get into them.  Once the listener can get past that point, the music itself is actually very good and can stand on its own.  The guitars provide a speed/thrash element while the bass and drums do their part to keep things at a frantic, yet controlled pace.  The music is also fairly easy to get into, as the band simplifies their music to the level that even the beginner metal head can get.  The lyric content is what you would expect for songs such as “Mistress from Hell” and “On the Loose,” meaning that what you see in the liner notes is what you get.  However, the first and last thing that the listener will likely come back to when listening to Into the Night is the vocals.  It isn’t often that the vocals will make or break an album, but it is the case with Enforcer, as it becomes an “either you get it or you don’t” situation.  Olof Wikstrand’s vocals do sound rather high pitched for a thrash metal band, let alone a NWOBHM band, to the point that he threatens to surpass Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford in terms of being able to hit the highest pitch.  Whether that is good or not is up to each listener’s individual tastes.

As a whole, Into the Night is actually a fun little album if and when you get past the vocals.  The obvious key there is getting past the vocals, which will take time to get used to should you decide to listen to Enforcer.  Purists will likely see this as a dangerously close parody of bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, but if you like a little humor in your music, then Into the Night is the album for you.

Release Date: November 18, 2008
Label: Heavy Artillery Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Black Angel
2.  Mistress from Hell
3.  Into the Night
4.  Speed Queen
5.  On the Loose
6.  City Lights
7.  Scream of the Savage
8.  Curse the Light
9.  Evil Attacker

Total playing time: 35:06

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