ODINFIST
“…Remade In Steel”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

9/10

Odinfist are a heavy metal band from Canada formed in 2006 releasing six albums and two E.P.’s in a prolific sixteen year career, which has seen the band tour on a fairly regular basis. Odinfist have shared a stage with some of the biggest names in metal, such as Diamond Head, Iron Kingdom, Kataklysm, Skull Fist, and Unleash the Archers. The bands new album ‘…Remade In Steel’ is their sixth full length…

…and was released in 2023, featuring six songs across a lengthy thirty eight minutes! Make no mistake, Odinfist are unashamedly old school sounding, carrying off a sound that was prevalent during the decade for metal evolution, the glorious eighties. Just take album opener ‘Riffmaster’ as a prime example – I can almost smell the eighties! And I know exactly what the eighties smelled like, for I was a teenager during the decade of not just metal evolution, but evolution for fashion and technology too! ‘Riffmaster’ is a galloping “foot on the monitor”, head bang-able slab of traditional heavy metal – and all from a band over three and a half thousand miles away from where it all started! But then, one of Canada’s greatest metal exports is Anvil, so Odinfist have a great legacy to live up to. And along with bands such as Skull Fist, Iron Kingdom, and Striker – the legacy is safe. With an even stronger old school flavour, ‘Metalmancer’ picks up the energy and pace and gallops on with all the might and mastery of the legendary Iron Maiden. Highly head bang-able and infectious to the max, ‘Metalmancer’ is gonna have every metalhead smiling from ear to ear.

The title song ‘Remade In Steel’ opens with the classic guitar sound of the iconic NWOBHM evolution, adopting a mid tempo menacing foot stomp as it gets going proper. Bordering on the anthemic style of metal, ‘Remade In Steel’ will have mosh pits jumping for joy and raising their clenched fists high in the air. Odinfist are remaining firmly and squarely in the heavy metal genre, delivering the kinda metal I grew up listening to – and I listened to a lot! But in those early days of the eighties it was mostly Samson, Diamond Head, Iron Maiden and Angel Witch on the turntable – yes, turntable! No CD’s back then, it was all vinyl records! Or cassette tapes! How times have changed eh! With its atmospheric build up and majestic march that resembles a mix of ‘Maiden’s ‘Dance Of Death’ (from the bands 2003 album ‘Dance Of Death’), and ‘Sign Of The Cross’ (from the 1995 album ‘The X Factor’) Odinfist’s ‘Allfather’ pays homage to one of the greatest ever heavy metal bands. The swagger and monolithic melodious intent is just right, ‘Allfather’ the centrepiece of ‘…Remade In Steel’.

Bringing the pace way down slow, the band introduce the doom style riffing of Black Sabbath for ‘Deadline’, a menacing and dark stroll of heaviness. The old school flavour is still present though, the all out galloping of the album so far taking a back seat just for a moment – that is until after halfway when the band step on the gas and accelerate to a more familiar foot on the monitor pace. Bringing the album to a close is the eight minutes plus ‘Masquerade’ – and a second homage to the legendary ‘Maiden. Odinfist not caring who knows what bands influence their sound – a sound that wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for the likes of Iron Maiden, Saxon, Angel Witch, and every other band who helped create the iconic and much loved sound of traditional heavy metal. ‘Masquerade’ – and every other song on offer – are cracking reminders of where heavy metal began over forty years ago. Long live heavy metal! And with bands like Odinfist around – live long it will!

Overall, six songs of infectious and head bang-able traditional heavy metal featuring the classic foot on the monitor gallop.

TRACKLIST

Riffmaster
Metalmancer
Remade In Steel
Allfather
Deadline
Masquerade

https://odinfist.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Odinfist

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