VYPERA
“Eat Your Heart Out”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

9/10

Vypera are a hard rock/heavy metal band from Sweden, releasing their debut album ‘Eat Your Heart Out’ in 2022.

Formed by lead singer Andreas Wallstrom, guitarist Christoffer Thelin, bass player Andreas Andersson, and drummer Johan Pettersson, Vypera emerge from a country with an incredible legacy for producing superb rock and metal bands. I could take a moment to give you a list, but there’s just too many to mention! But believe me, Vypera are gonna make Sweden very proud…

…with eleven heavy metal tinged hard rock anthems. Influenced by bands such as Rainbow and W.A.S.P. Vypera hit hard and kick harder – the album exploding into life with the fast paced ‘Slow Me Down’. Galloping forth at an up tempo and fairly furious pace, ‘Slow Me Down’ is a classic rock/metal swagger, harking back to the old days when bands proudly straddled both genres, their music equally attractive to both rock and metal fans. The band storm on with the much rockier ‘Standing On The Edge’ – definitely coming at ya from the hard rock arena. Also much more melodic than the opening song, ‘Standing On The Edge’ reminds me of early Bon Jovi and their brand of stadium rock – big riffs and even bigger choruses. A spellbinding opening double by Vypera, becomes a triple, as ‘Spellbound’ hustles and bustles on with much of the same eighties stadium filling rock as heard (on the album) previously. The band know their audience, and definitely know how to hit ’em – right between the eyes! And with a devastating accuracy second to none.

With a gorgeous guitar sound straight out of the iconic NWOBHM evolution, the band steam on with the fastest song heard so far – ‘Sierra’, a thunderous bolt of (British heavy metal stalwarts) Saxon-esque pace and power, Vypera proudly straddling the border between rock and metal. Now tell me – what do you expect from a song titled ‘Rock N’ Roll’? And you’d be right. For ‘Rock N’ Roll’ is a fast paced and thunderous “foot on the monitor” gallop. Eat your heart out all those pioneering NWOBHM bands that developed the galloping rhythm, Vypera are stealing your thunder. Hitting the brakes hard, the band enter power ballad territory with ‘Fantasy’, a slow paced lighters in the air and sway from side to side stroll. Lacking any of the oomph from the albums first half, ‘Fantasy’ signals the mid point of the album, allowing for a breather from the full on and in your face intensity Vypera are peddling. Releasing the brakes, the band increase the thunder for the heavy foot stomping ‘Straight For The Kill’. Resembling a rock version of Judas Priest, ‘Straight For The Kill’ will crush and crumble small buildings with its feisty force. So be on the look out for falling rocks, bricks and timber!

Sounding like we’re heading for a second ballad, ‘Danger’ meanders into sight, adopting a mellow stance, but progressing to become another fast paced and up tempo gallop, full of punch and pride, and a melodious intent as proud as heard everywhere else on the album. Vypera definitely attracting a wide array of fans and planting smiles a mile wide on their faces. Without letting up for a second breather, the band power on with the most attitudinal song on offer ‘Fool For The Night’. More in your face and intense than anything heard so far, the band show their aggressive side – but only a little bit! ‘Cold As Ice’ – and no, it’s not a cover of the Foreigner classic – sounds as though ballad territory is imminent. But once more, the band flick the switch and thunder forth with a purpose filled gallop – the monitor suffering with feet being firmly planted on it! Vypera seem to love the mystery of the “where are we going with this intro”, after happily including quite a few. Yet for the final song ‘Wingborne’, the band are immediately into their stride and pounding the boards as majestically as everything else on the album. From the off to the end, interest has never been lost, Vypera delivering an addictive and highly infectious debut album.

Overall, a hard hitting, heavy metal tinged album of hard rock, ‘Eat Your Heart Out’ is highly melodic and immensely energetic.

TRACKLIST

Slow Me Down
Standing On The Edge
Spellbound
Sierra
Rock N’ Roll
Fantasy
Straight For The Kill
Danger
Fool For The Night
Cold As Ice
Wingborne

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