It’s been a few years since the world has heard from Swedish NWOTHM act, Lethal Steel. Their debut album, Legion of the Night (2016), was well received by heshers far and wide. There’s been a few lineup changes since then. This latest release sees the arrival of guitarists Valentin Papp and Isak Rosemarin. In traditional metal, switching out a guitar duo is almost certain death. It’s the core of a band’s sound à la Priest or Maiden. However, Lethal Steel is soldiering on just fine and this EP proves it.
Running from the Dawn opens with “Weekday Refugee”: a clever synonym for “Weekend Warrior”. It begins with an ominous acoustic intro before getting down to business. Aside from the intro and a brief switch of tempo in the mid section, this is fast, heavy, and melodic heavy metal. On the next two songs, “Stay Away” and the Swedish sung “Ge Allt”, the band kicks into full speed metal gear. The riffs are good, but the flashy guitar solos and bellowing vocals of singer Viktor Gustafsson are even better. In a world where NWOTHM singers are obsessed with hitting those stupidly high John Gallagher shrieks, it’s refreshing to hear someone channeling the lower to middle range of Johan Längquist. Closing out the EP is my favorite song, “City of Sin”. A mid tempo number with extra emphasis on melody, it’s a departure from the power/speed metal fare of the previous tracks. The icing on the cake is the guitar solo which starts with an extra tasty twin lead. Papp and Rosemarin have taken over shredding duties with ease.
Overall, Running from the Dawn is a solid followup to Legion of the Night. It should certainly hold fans over until the next full length. Until then, take a trip to the “City of Sin” with Lethal Steel!
6 out of 10
Label: High Roller Records
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Jonah Quizz, Mindless Sinner, Traveler