If there’s one traditional metal act who has gained significant traction in recent years, it’s Screamer. Their last album, Highway of Heroes (2019), was a fan favorite for its simple, stripped down approach on NWOBHM worship. In the same breath, 2019 was a real turning point for the so-called NWOTHM (I STILL hate that label.) Albums like Traveler’s self titled, Riot City’s Burn the Night, Smoulder’s Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring, Idle Hands’ Mana, Haunt’s If Icarus Could Fly, and the aforementioned Highway of Heroes dominated year-end lists and the collective underground’s attention alike. And then the pandemic happened.
While all of these bands are still going at it in some form or another, the feeling that this crop could break out into something larger has since subsided. The focus seems to have shifted back towards hardcore kids playing death metal, but I digress. This review isn’t about hardcore kids or death metal or the current hottest trends. It’s about Screamer and their follow up to Highway of Heroes, Kingmaker. It should be noted that the hype leading up to this album got Screamer their first U.S. tour, as well as a record deal with Steamhammer, so expectations were high to say the least.
Upon first listen, Kingmaker is a far more polished release than Highway. It also seems more concerned in checking off the obligatory NWOTHM boxes as opposed to being a straightforward affair. Whereas Highway stays largely in the Maiden/Priest vein, Kingmaker channels a little bit of everything, with some songs being better executed than others. “Hellfire”, “Fall of a Common Man”, and “Renegade” are the three songs that bare semblance to the band’s past output, with their NWOBHM leaning and emphasis on twin guitar leads. The rest of the album ranges from power metal to AOR and everything in between.
The opening title track and “Rise Above” boast a stark similarity to classic Deep Purple. At first I thought it was just the layer of keys which lurked underneath, but it becomes evident in the riffing, musicianship, and overall energy. “Chasing the Rainbow” faithfully pays homage to the roots of high speed euro power metal, while “Ashes and Fire” attempts the “march to battle” template with lackluster results. This isn’t so much a knock at Screamer as much as it is a plea to the current traditional metal scene as a whole: Stop with these “battle hymns”. You’re not Manowar.
Funny enough, for such a pure metal affair, my two favorite songs happen to be the most melodic: “The Traveler”, a full blown AOR tune on par with Night Ranger and the heavier side of Survivor, and “Sounds of the Night”, whose melodic metal flair lies somewhere between Scorpions and ’87 Whitesnake. At this point, maybe reinventing themselves into an AOR band will be the next logical evolution for Screamer. Enforcer and Striker did it. Why not Screamer? I’d be all for it, because while Kingmaker is a pleasurable listen, it’s far from ruling the roost.
6 out of 10
Label: Steamhammer
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Enforcer