MAULE
“Maule”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Maule are a heavy metal band from Canada formed in 2017, releasing their self titled album in 2022.

Hailing from the country that has given the world some of it’s greatest metal pioneers – namely Anvil, Exciter, and Annihilator – Maule are a brand new name in the realms of traditional heavy metal. Featuring nine songs over a blistering forty minutes, the bands debut is an aggressive yet barnstorming gallop from start to finish. The pedal is well and truly to the metal – with album opener ‘Evil Eye’ exploding into life with a fast and furious purpose filled intent. The glorious sound of traditional heavy metal fills the air… And boy does it smell good! Maule and their debut album are off to an absolute flyer – the pace and intensity incredible. ‘Ritual’ maintains the momentum set by the opening shot, and if anything actually increases the intensity. The head bang ability of the opening double is simply off the charts, with an incredibly warm and fuzzy feeling spreading throughout the body. The last two songs have been some of the best “new” traditional metal songs I have heard for some time.

The influence of the iconic NWOBHM has not gone unnoticed in the Maule camp – ‘Summoner’ charging forth like a mid eighties Iron Maiden gallop. The infectious level of ‘Summoner’ is sky high, with the sing a long style chorus an in concert crowd participation moment for sure. What an electrifying start to your debut album! A start that is fast becoming one of the best releases this year – and the year is only three weeks in! The self titled, and title song ‘Maule’ is pure, unabashed, and sheer heavy metal brilliance. The pace is incredible, ‘Maule’ (the song) hurtling forward at full tilt. Heads that have been banging hard so far, will now be banging harder and faster as the band hit top gear. ‘Red Sonja’ – the shortest song on offer at just under three minutes – is a ferocious neck breaker. The heaviest song heard on the album so far, Maule keep their feet firmly planted on the monitor. The incredibly high level of intensity remains intact, with ‘Red Sonja’ heralding in the albums second half.

As debuts go – this is proving to be one of the best. The pace, energy, and intensity are all top notch. Maule power on with what is now the fastest song heard so far – ‘Sword Woman’. Elements of the aggression fuelled style of thrash make themselves heard as ‘Sword Woman’ scorches the Earth it travels on, leaving only smoke and destruction in its wake. There really is no time for a breather, the album steaming on with the heavy hitting ‘Father Time’. Imagine a hundred wrecking balls hitting all at once, followed by a hundred more – and you’ll get some idea of the impact ‘Father Time’ makes. ‘March Of The Dead’ takes a more melodic approach than any other song on offer, yet loses none of the albums overall intensity. Canada may be three thousand six hundred miles away from the UK and the iconic NWOBHM evolution during the eighties, but isn’t fantastic to see and hear that forty years later the legendary movement is still influencing bands and their musical direction! And so the album comes to an end – but remember, the replay button was invented for albums just like this. And to the final hurrah we ride – ‘We Ride’ maintains the pace, power, and intensity the album has displayed since it began, albeit a little more anthemically than any other song on offer. What a blistering start to a new year, and an album that is in contention for the most impressive debut of the year award.

Overall, a blistering forty minutes of full on and fast paced traditional heavy metal that is one hundred percent infectious.

TRACKLIST

Evil Eye
Ritual
Summoner
Maule
Red Sonja
Sword Woman
Father Time
March Of The Dead
We Ride

https://maule.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.facebook.com/MAULEOFFICIAL

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