SCREAMER
“Kingmaker”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Screamer are a heavy metal band from Sweden formed in 2009, releasing five albums to date – ‘Adrenaline Distractions’ (2011), ‘Phoenix’ (2013), ‘Hell Machine’ (2017), ‘Highway Of Heroes’ (2019), and ‘Kingmaker’, released in 2023.

Featuring a hard rocking heavy metal sound that was prevalent during metals formative years – the glorious eighties – Screamer’s new album ‘Kingmaker’ is jam packed with fist pumping, head bang-able tunes to delight the worlds metalheads! For forty fabulous minutes, the band entertain like never before, the album bursting into life with the energetic title song ‘Kingmaker’ – and a melodic gallop that’ll immediately have you nodding your heads! The old school “foot on the monitor” feel is very much in evidence as the band majestically march on by…

…taking an upwards trajectory with the faster paced but nonetheless melodious ‘Rise Above’. Screamer have shown in just the first two songs their prowess to seamlessly blend hard rock and heavy metal – attracting fans of both styles to the bands soundscape. ‘Rise Above’ has all the ingredients to plant smiles a mile wide on the faces of every listener, and keep them smiling long after the song has ended. Oh man the old school flavour is strong – ‘The Traveler’ emitting NWOBHM sounds mixed with the feel of classic AOR. And what might seem like a strange mix, works really (really) well. Imagine if the likes of Journey introduced elements of the Iron Maiden sound into their music! And that’s exactly what ‘The Traveler’ gives you. Simply incredible! Keeping the hard rocking momentum swinging, the band up the energy and pace, ‘Hellfire’ pounding the ground with a heaviness not heard so far. And a glorious (I’ll say it again) old school flavour doused in copious amounts of hard rock and heavy metal nuances.

After a sublime intro, ‘Chasing The Rainbow’ pushes the accelerator pedal right to the floor, roaring off at top speed – Screamer sending a message to the mosh pits to go fucking wild! And wild they will be, for ‘Chasing The Rainbow’ is delivered at a perfect head banging speed. Come on all you metalheads – let’s go crazy! With no sign of the band letting the intensity, energy, or pizzazz lapse, ‘Kingmaker’ (the album) foot stomps on with the anthemic ‘Ashes And Fire’, dripping with a rabble rousing call to arms spirit that’ll have everyone everywhere raising their fists high and punching the air in pure delight. Take a back seat Manowar, Sabaton, and Brothers Of Metal – there’s a new anthemic metal song (and ultimately band) in the driving seat. And boy oh boy where did that pace come from – ‘Burn It Down’ changing gears to become a high velocity head banger! The band once again delivering a mosh pit maniacs dream – I tell ya, there’s gonna be some serious neck wrecking going on to this one.

And even at this early stage in the year, Screamer have made one of earliest charges for the title of Album Of The Year – ‘Kingmaker’ (the album) a top notch hard rocking heavy metal album. An album that just keeps getting better and better – ‘Fall Of A Common Man’ re-introducing the famous metal “gallop”! Not to mention the classic foot on the monitor vibe too! Old school metal with a hard rocking edge has never sounded so good – definitely one of the biggest surprises of the year so far. Returning the guitar sound of the iconic NWOBHM evolution, the band storm forth with ‘Sounds Of The Night’ – probably the best of the bunch with regards to the old school flavour! But then I could have chosen any of the songs on offer, they’re all just as fucking good! The only downside to ‘Kingmaker’ (the album), is that it has to end! But isn’t that what replay buttons were invented for? So you could listen again and again! ‘Course they were – but just before you press replay, there’s one more song to go. And the return of metal mixed with AOR – ‘Renegade’ actually leaning more to metal than AOR. Especially where the pace is concerned! Screamer have kept their foot on the gas from start to finish and delivered a sparkling album of hard rocking heavy metal.

Overall, an infectious journey of very attractive heavy metal fused with elements of hard rock – ‘Kingmaker’ is a superb album.

TRACKLIST

Kingmaker
Rise Above
The Traveler
Hellfire
Chasing The Rainbow
Ashes And Fire
Burn It Down
Fall Of A Common Man
Sounds Of The Night
Renegade

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