Another month, another round of NWOTHM releases to explore. A man of my word, I said in my review of Maule’s self titled that it drove me to stay away from the niche for the remainder of January. So here we are 11 days later, in February, giving it another chance. In today’s episode, we explore Decay, the debut album from German metal newcomers, Tension. Technically speaking, the band formed in 2015 and released a self titled EP in 2017, so they’re not all that “new”, but this is the first I’m hearing about them, so the prosecution rests.
Decay opens strong with the powerful “Open the Gates”. Not to be confused with the Manilla Road song of the same name, this is straightforward 80s metal worship, yet without sounding contrived like so many others of their ilk. The musicianship of Maiden meets the darkness and production value of Satan. In other words, think a NWOBHM demo obscurity circa ’82. “Higher Power” continues upping the irons, with a razor sharp twin axe attack, swinging Clive Burr style drumming, and an arrangement that lies somewhere between Killers (1981) and The Number of the Beast (1982).
As the album progresses, it occasionally falls prey to the usual trappings of the NWOTHM. Cuts like “Cosmic Gaze” and “Black Knights” sound no different than the sea of faceless NWOTHM bands whose album promos clog my inbox. However, a handful of missteps aside, Tension manages to avoid these pitfalls in the grand scheme of things. Dead set on becoming more than another Maiden clone, they incorporate various flairs into their playing and songwriting, managing to carve out their own identity along the way.
The fast and steely “Hellflight” comes off as a nod to Omen, which is pretty cool if you ask me. There aren’t enough power metal bands drawing from the well of Battle Cry (1984), but I digress. “Age of Stars” is a high speed rager that ideally should sound filthier, but works with a polished production regardless. The d-beat drumming and occasional “OUGHS!” are contrasted by stratospheric guitar work. “Mooncrusher” is another Maiden inspired number, with an emphasis on earworm melodies, while “Mistress” combines the 80s metal ethos with the eerie, gothic atmosphere of In Solitude.
Despite all that Tension has going on musically, they manage to put it all together effectively on Decay. Some might call them overambitious, overblown, or flat out pompous. I say the more the merrier. Also, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Sure, maybe there can be some fine tuning here and there. It would be a trip to hear Tension attempt a full power metal release (think “Hellfight” times 10), but if they released another album like this, I’d have zero complaints. This is traditional metal done right, and will most certainly scratch your Maiden itch if you were as disappointed in Senjutsu (2021) as I was.
6 out of 10
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Iron Maiden, Satan, Angel Witch