When it comes to the soundtrack of a late night drive, it’s usually a tossup between one of two styles: Easygoing AOR or ripping thrash/speed metal. The former is for when I just want to vibe and bask in the glow of the highway lights. The latter is for when I can’t keep my eyes open and need a healthier alternative than gas station crank. This past Friday, as I made the trek home from a friend’s place, I resorted to the latter. Crucible are the latest high speed sensation to come out of Denmark, and they sure made the roughly hour long commute home feel like a blink with their debut album, Hail to the Force.
I’d like to preface this review by making one things abundantly clear: Crucible are a speed metal band through and through. Yes, there is one song that teeters on the edge of thrash at its earliest, and a few cuts that evoke the power/speed formula of Thundersteel era Riot, but at the end of the day, this band is all about playing old school metal at terminal velocity, and they do a hell of a job at it. Hail to the Force is fast, loud, and an unabashedly proud display of throwback metal that doesn’t just piggyback the best moments of yesteryear, but builds upon them.
From the opening wallop of “Deathdealer”, I can’t help but draw comparisons to Fistful of Metal era Anthrax. The riffs are razor sharp and punishingly fast, frontman Philip Butler boasts a range and delivery strongly reminiscent of prime Neil Turbin, and even the production sounds straight out of ’83 or ’84. As Hail progresses, one might even consider it the spiritual successor to Fistful that never was. “Embrace of Steele” boasts hints of USPM valor, while ragers like “Redwing” and “Savage Weapon” put the pedal to the metal, taking no prisoners, just like a good speed metal album should.
Amidst these speed showcases are the occasional trad metal palette cleanses. Cuts like “Far Beyond the Grave” and “Splashed to the Four Winds” boast the usual Maiden and Priest maneuvers, albeit with epic metal tinges reminiscent of Manilla Road and a strong progressive leaning to the arrangements. In other words, if Crucible wanted to be a straightforward trad metal act, they could, but why should they when they bring the speed so damn well? Hard as it is to pick a choice cut, the ultraviolent “Evilforce” takes the cake for me, sounding like a lost track from Overkill’s Feel the Fire days, before Bobby Blitz settled on his AC/DC voice and the riffs became exclusively thrash or groove.
Hail to the Force is an utterly explosive debut. If it were any other newcomer band, I’d say that it sets the bar almost TOO high for album #2. However, I am confident in Crucible’s writing and musical abilities that when the time is right, they’ll be able to craft a follow up that’s equally as invigorating as this here opening statement. Until then, I highly implore you to crank this bad boy on your car stereo and test the limits of your local freeway.
8 out of 10
Label: From the Vaults
Genre: Speed Metal
For fans of: Agent Steel, Anthrax, Overkill