BLAKK LEDD
“Heavy Metal Fans”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

9/10

Blakk Ledd are a hard rock/metal band from Sweden formed in 2014 releasing their debut album ‘Ignite Your Life’ in 2019. The bands sophomore album ‘Heavy Metal Fans’ was released in 2022.

Founded by Anders Andersson (bass) and Tommie Karlsson (guitar), Blakk Ledd play classic sounding rock and metal, the kind you heard back in the decade of evolution – the 1980’s. With bands such as Accept, Judas Priest and Primal Fear influencing the bands sound, you can expect a hard rocking, head bang-able march of metal. Now then, just before I get into my review, I think it’s prudent to point out that ‘Heavy Metal Fans’ (the album) has the same cover and collection of songs as the bands 2019 debut – albeit in a different order! The information I received on the band didn’t make it clear if this was a reissue or a re-recording, so I’m just gonna write my review as if it’s a new album. So, the new album features ten songs across a fifty one minute run time, getting underway with the immediately loveable title song ‘Heavy Metal Fans’, and an uncompromising attitude towards the iconic sound of traditional heavy metal. And the fantastic old school “foot on the monitor” gallop! The bands blend of power driven heavy metal with power metal is just superb, creating an opening salvo that is both explosive and highly energetic.

Shredding guitars light up the intro to ‘Cold Trash Coming’ – a much heavier and bustling offering than the albums opener. Adopting a heavy gallop ala British metallers Saxon, ‘Cold Trash Coming’ is a little on the anthemic side too. Harder rocking than either of the two previous songs, ‘Bad Sign’ is a majestic march of metal and rock – with glam rock in the shape of Aerosmith…that’s Aerosmith at their heaviest…as a major influence. Sweden are renowned for producing some of the worlds greatest rock and metal bands, with Blakk Ledd having a lot to live up to. And I think they’re doing just fine. No actually, they’re doing better than fine – they’re doing their country proud. And with songs like ‘Ignite Your Life’ packing a weighty punch and knocking you into next week – the band are emphatically enhancing Sweden’s reputation as a premier pipeline for new bands.

It’s a very thin line between rock and metal, sometimes too thin to detect a difference – and that’s exactly where Blakk Ledd stand. Songs like ‘Hold Your Ground’ has a foot in either genre, straddling the border with poise and pride. Fans of both rock and metal finding something attractive about the bands music to engage their ears and keep them tuned in. And with Blakk Ledd establishing themselves as a hard hitting band of immense power, you’d better watch out when they come to visit, they might just demolish your house! The cracking intensity with which the album began, remains unbroken as ‘Burning Fever’ stomps in and marches heavily on, taking absolutely no prisoners as it pounds and pummels the senses with unerring accuracy. Picking up the pace and tempo, ‘Running In The Night’ gallops furiously on, bringing the sound of traditional heavy metal to the fore once more, planting both feet firmly on the monitor.

If I had to choose metal or rock to describe Blakk Ledd – I would defiantly choose metal, the bands sound definitely emanating from the metal side of the fence. However, the rock influence is undeniable, but only in small doses – ‘Liar’ one of those small doses. Maybe I’ll just say Blakk Ledd are a hard rocking heavy metal band and leave it at that. The intensity level remains unbroken as the band rock on with the mid tempo thunderstorm ‘Pitch Black Hole’. And a heaviness that emanates a mix of modern metal and old school groove – Blakk Ledd taking inspiration from a wide array of styles to create an addictive, attractive, and awesome range of songs. The album is brought to a close with the punchiest of all the songs on offer – ‘Take Em Down’ a pummelling tirade of knockout punches, keeping the intensity level as high as it has ever been.

Overall, ten hard rocking heavy metal anthems to head bang and raise your fists high in the air to.

TRACKLIST

Heavy Metal Fans
Cold Trash Coming
Bad Sign
Ignite Your Life
Hold Your Ground
Burning Fever
Running In The Night
Liar
Pitch Black Hole
Take Em Down

https://www.facebook.com/BlakkLedd

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