ANSWER WITH METAL
“CENTRALIA”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

8.5/10

Answer With Metal are a heavy metal band from Canada formed in 2008, releasing their self titled debut album in 2012. Two further albums followed, ‘Handling The Blade’ in 2015 and ‘Return To The Gates’ in 2016. The bands fourth album ‘Centralia’, was released in 2019.

The fourth album from Canadian metallers Answer With Metal is an all out gallop of traditional heavy metal, running very close to the melodic thrash metal style. Opener ‘No One’s To Own’ is a foot on the monitor romp of fast paced riffery, adrenaline pumping rhythms, and will have fists punching the air in delight. Quickly into it’s stride, ‘No One’s To Own’ sets the tone for what is to follow…the lightning quick ‘Wild Hunt’. A fiery blast of head bang able heavy metal ‘Wild Hunt’ is a fast and furious gallop, guaranteed to get heads banging harder than is deemed, medically safe. ‘Stand And Fight’ opens like a power ballad, but believe me it’s not, getting into its stride, adopting a more anthemic, heavy hitting style than the opening double salvo. The mid tempo pace of ‘Stand And Fight’ is more akin to British stalwarts Saxon, and American icons Manowar.

Moving swiftly into the melodic heavy metal genre, ‘Jenova’ is a Sunday afternoon stroll, a late evening walk along the beach watching the sun set, and is too heavy to be formally classed as a power ballad, but somehow ‘Jenova’ manages to move you toward swaying, just like a ballad does! Title song ‘Centralia’ bustles into life and foot stomps heavily on its way. Hitting harder than a wrecking ball in full swing, ‘Centralia’ is a mighty monster march. Pace and power return to the album in emphatic style with the high velocity ‘Don’t Know Why’. Racing like a champion sprinter heading for the finish line, ‘Don’t Know Why’ is a blend of speed and power metal with a huge amount of the melodic thrown in, and a sing a long style chorus to boot.

‘Cry Wolf’ has the style of European power metal stamped all over it – big riffs, galloping rhythms and a heavy dose of the melodic. ‘Cry Wolf’ is catchy and infectious, and has a chant style chorus that the crowd in a live arena are gonna scream and screech at the tops of their voices. With a stark change in their sound, Answer With Metal will stun fans with the up front and in your face attitude of ‘No Heights A Home’. Savage in its delivery, ‘No Heights A Home’ is a head slap, a smack in the mouth, a kick in the nuts, and a neck breaking speed metal rampage. Opening like a ballad the song title suggests, the final song ‘Last Of You’ actually turns in an epic mid tempo melodic performance, sharing traits with British legends Iron Maiden. ‘Centralia’ (the album) offers plenty of variety across a number of genres to keep a wide array of fans very happy.

Overall, a blistering gallop of foot on the monitor style heavy metal, catchy and infectious, and highly melodic.

TRACKLIST

No One’s To Own
Wild Hunt
Stand And Fight
Jenova
Centralia
Don’t Know Why
Cry Wolf
No Heights A Home
Last Of You

https://answerwithmetal.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/answerwithmetal/

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