Battle Beast - No More Hollywood Endings (2019)

If there is one thing that I think a lot of bands do way too much of today, it is referencing the 80's. Sure, it was during this period when metal was at its peak, both in quality and commercially, but the amount of bands that tribute this era through their music makes me pretty sick to be honest. Well, now we can add Battle Beast to that group as well, a Finnish group that started out as a pretty exciting power metal power house who has gradually added more of the synth-like 80's influences for each album.

Now, I know that I said in my "Bringer of Pain" review that the added 80's influence was an advantage for the band, so why is it a problem in "No More Hollywood Endings"? Simple, what was once an added flavour is now the entire main course. Battle Beast has turned into a 80's pop metal band, and while there is still some power in there, it is far from the impactful force that the band produced in their early days. Every song in here is a nod to that decade and its colorful neon lights, so the cheese factor in here is insanely high, and not in an entertaining way.

An example, "Endless Summer" is more or less a Whitesnake song that borrowed some lines from Kid Rock's "All Summer Long". I do not know if it is a tribute or what, but by god is it ever a slog, something my younger self could not imagine that this band might do. It is only one of several softer tracks in here, really enhancing the pop elements to a maximum, and it mostly ends in boring fluff such as "I Wish" and "Bent And Broken". Then there are tracks that are just odd, like the Bon Jovi flirting "Unfairy Tales", and "My Last Dream" that is going everywhere at the same time.

I do have to admit though that there are moments when the 80's vibe does hit the spot just right. "The Hero" obviously steals the main riff from "Maniac", but this is a track that uses the echoing drums, the synthesizers, and the glossy flair in a nice, epic fashion. Guitarists Juuso Soinio and Joona Björkroth steals the show here with two really nice solos, especially that last one is goosebump inducing. Epic rock ending for the win! We also get a nice part of the album where more of the classic Battle Beast appears with the trio of "Raise Your Fists", "The Golden Horde", and "World On Fire" unleashes hell upon us, showing that there is still some power in this band. I do have to question the ending of "The Golden Horde" though, where Wilhelm comes on and does his usual scream. Makes me laugh every god damn time.

Well, there is ultimately not much battle in this beast anymore, they are just acting tougher than what their music implies. "No More Hollywood Endings" is a confusing pop power mess that never seems to get a footing, slipping and sliding in the mud of its confidence. There are still some nice highlights in here, but just like you do not watch a movie for a specific scene or two, you do not listen to an album for just a couple of songs, it is the entire experience that is the most important thing. Now that the credits have rolled, let us move on to the next album.

Songs worthy of recognition: The Hero, Raise Your Fists, The Golden Horde

Rating: 5/10 Unfairy Tales

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Bringer of Pain