CHALLENGER
“Force Of Nature”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

8/10

Challenger are a heavy metal band from Slovenia formed in 2016, releasing the bands debut E.P. ‘Turned To Dust’ in 2019, and debut full length album ‘Force Of Nature’ in 2024…

…featuring eight songs across a blistering forty two minutes! Influenced by the likes of Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate, Tank and Venom, the Slovenian five-piece thunder through every song on offer at pace with tremendous power and purpose – ‘Force Of Nature’ storming into life by way of ‘Imperial Madness’. And the band are literally a “force of nature”, a fucking powerful one too, the speed of ‘Imperial Madness’ quick enough to break the sound barrier! Challenger are at full tilt right from the off, the opening salvo full of energy and oomph – energy and oomph that isn’t lost as ‘Force Of Nature’ roars on with the faster paced ‘Under The Skin’, and a head bang ability that’s just shot through the fucking roof! And even though ‘Under The Skin’ oozes a huge traditional heavy metal feel, the band add plenty of thrash elements to make every thrasher as well as metaller turn their heads in the direction of the Slovenian band!

And clocking in at seven minutes in length, ‘Victims Of War’ is by far and away the longest song on offer, opening with a majestic and highly engaging first forty five seconds, the band changing through the gears to race off at pace. I think Challenger only know one way to metal – hard, heavy and fast with incredible intensity! The opening treble has been nothing short of barnstorming, the band grabbing everyone’s attentions and holding them tight – very tight, as ‘Exhausted Earth’ surges forth with a mellow stroll! And a more soulful feel too, every ounce of energy and oomph disappearing just as quick as my bank balance on bills day! Neither a ballad nor a hymn, ‘Exhausted Earth’ seems to bimble across the land until two minutes in when a surge of energy picks the pace up, the band planting their feet firmly on the old school heavy metal monitor to adopt a mid tempo gallop. And restoring pace and power fully to the fore, ‘Recurrent Universe’ gallops harder and faster than the previous song, Challenger echoing the early eighties NWOBHM sound. And although ‘Recurrent Universe’ is an instrumental, it holds your attention right from the start to the very end.

The title song ‘Force Of Nature’, maintains the albums recent old school trip, heavying things up a bit to hustle and bustle forth with an abrasiveness not heard previously, the infectious level remaining at an all time high. The blunter, more in your face attitude oozing out of ‘Force Of Nature’ (the song), may take a few listeners by surprise, but not the stunning turn of speed mid song, the band returning to the fore blistering pace and immense head bang ability. Which remains in force as ‘Sleepless’ thunders into view and bounces on with a swagger not heard on any other song! And when I say swagger, it’s actually more like an elegant, majestic and measured stride, the band striding tall right through the heart of metal territory – the albums final song ‘The Final Epoch’ featuring the iconic guitar tone so synonymous with the legendary NWOBHM evolution, Challenger delivering a finale that smells the strongest of old school heavy metal.

Overall, a thundering and highly head bang-able album of pace changing tempo changing hard hitting heavy metal.

TRACKLIST

Imperial Madness
Under The Skin
Victims Of War
Exhausted Earth
Recurrent Universe
Force Of Nature
Sleepless
The Final Epoch

https://bandchallenger.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/challengerslo/

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