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

Battle Beast - Bringer of Pain (2017)

It is ESC qualification season in Europe, which always gets me thinking on what metal bands would have a good chance in the competition (even if 98% of metal fans don't give a shit about it). I believe that bands like Amaranthe, Sonata Arctica, and even Within Temptation would spice up the show quite a bit. Another band that could pull it off is Battle Beast, especially after what I have heard on their fourth full length effort.

You see, while the Finns always had an element of classic 80's heavy metal in their bombastic sound, they have turned up the nostalgia even further here in "Bringer of Pain". Believe it or not, it actually works to the band's advantage, because their style had become pretty stale the more you heard of it. I am not saying that the bigger involvement of the 80's influences have completely changed their sound, just spiced things up a bit, making the band exciting again.

And it is not like the band is trying to hide these 80's references. The melodies and the structures just oozes of that decade, and I can definitely see some songs in here that would fit in there without any problem. Take "Dancing With The Beast" for an example, with its prominent keyboards and poppy melodies, it could just as well be a Pat Benatar song, and I would not argue. This will definitely rub some people off, and while I think it does not elevate the album in any way, it still sounds neat.

Another key thing with "Bringer of Pain" is that the band has taken a step back, and stopped being so "in your face" with their attitude (except that obnoxious album cover, Jesus!). We still got our adrenaline kicks in "Straight To The Heart", the title track, and "Bastard Son of Odin", but they all feel more lose in its approach, making it easier to take in without getting the taste of blood in your mouth. The performances also takes a step back, especially singer Noora Louhimo whom still sounds raw and tough, but shows some other, softer sides on this record, like the ballad (yes, a Battle Beast ballad) "Far From Heaven". And yes, it is, believe it or not, one of the better songs on this album.

I still think "Bringer of Pain" holds a decent number of quality in it, but at the same time, there are several issues as well. It is one of the more inconsistent albums of this year, and the fillers in here are BIG fillers, not filling any need at all. I also feel like the band loans a little too much from bands like Nightwish ("Beyond The Burning Skies" and "Lost In Wars") and Sabaton ("Bastard Son of Odin" and "God of War") in this album, which is a little off putting. One more thing, while I admit that the final song "Rock Trash" is quite humorous with its cheesy lines (We got the license to rock/wake up the whole block/create a heavy shock), it is a weird way to end an album, and it is yet another reason why this album reeks of the 80's.

So if you like your nostalgia metal heavy and powerful, "Bringer of Pain" is definitely the album for you. It is without any question a step forward from the predecessor "Unholy Savior", and overall it is actually a really fun record, one that is easy to enjoy. Taking a step back though, and observing it from a distant, the flaws in here are just too many to be ignored, keeping it from being one of the band's best albums. So this is definitely an album that is best enjoyed in small doses, which is probably another reason to why this band would work just fine in the ESC. If Lordi can win, so can Battle Beast.

Songs worthy of recognition: Bringer of Pain, Straight To The Heart, Far From Heaven

Rating: 6,5/10 Familiar Hells

www.battlebeast.fi/
twitter.com/BattleBeast

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Battle Beast - Unholy Savior (2015)

Ever since their emergence on the stage of Wacken Open Air in 2010, Finnish band Battle Beast has been one of my go to bands whenever I want to listen to some fast power metal with a lot of force in it. Their first two albums, "Steel" and "Battle Beast", have been a nice, new storm wind in a time where power metal have not really changed too much. But there comes a time for most bands who tries to reinvent the wheel when the inspiration is gone and they either get stuck in a trench or they join the others and become a normal act. That time seem to have come now for Battle Beast with the release of "Unholy Savior", the band's third full length album.

The album does have a fair share of power and speed, but it just feels so sluggish compared to its predecessors, which does not surprise me one bit since it is extremely hard to keep upping the tempo every time. However, I am not upset over that, especially since there are other things in the albums that annoys me even more, like the two ballads "Sea of Dreams" and "Angel Cry". I like it that the band actually tries to variate their sounds, but these ballads just does not hold it since the singer, Noora Louhimo, is much better with her screaming, Rob Halford like vocals.

I also find it strange that they put two short instrumentals right after each other in "The Black Swordsman" and "Hero's Quest". Just bake them into one song, because they obviously fit together. I know I am petty over it, but I had to say it. I am also annoyed over "Touch In The Night", whom sounds like a cheesy 80's pop song. Not metal, pop. I can almost guarantee that I can play this song to my mother, who is a huge fan of 80's music, and she will enjoy it. Speaking of the 80's, the band also did a cover of "Push It To The Limit" by Paul Engemann (best known from the movie "Scarface") as a bonus. Pretty decent, but nothing that really impress me.

There are some parts of this album that does hint of what quality the band possesses. Songs like "I Want The World... And Everything In It" and "Madness" has a good drive that the band can handle with ease, and they also deliver with simple, straight forward heavy metal in "Far Far Away". However, I miss that real top song that just defines the album and takes it to another level.

So yeah, this is without a doubt the worst Battle Beast album up to date. The band needs to find a new direction to head towards, otherwise they will reach a place were mediocrity rules. "Unholy Savior" still has small glimpses of quality, but it just feels too safe so it can reach maximum listening time through the radio stations. I know you can do better than this, so just do it.

Songs worthy of recognition: I Want The World... And Everything In It, Madness, Far Far Away

Rating: 5,5/10 Black Swordsmen

www.battlebeast.fi/
twitter.com/BattleBeast

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Battle Beast - S/T (2013)

I always have a bad hunch when it comes to self titled albums that is not a debut. For me, it is a sign that the band has lost most of its inspiration and fantasy, so they just put up some fillers and make an album out of them. So you can understand that I was a little worried when I found out that the sophomore album from Finnish metallers Battle Beast was self titled. Their debut, "Steel", was a great show of power, youthful passion and... well, more power, so I still held my head high when I took on this album.

The biggest reason on why I had a bad hunch for this album was not for the title, it was for the fact that the band has changed singer. Out with Nitte Valo (I do not think that she is related to HIM singer Ville Valo) and in with Noora Louhimo. I did not think that Noora could take over the power that Nitte brought, but Noora proved me wrong more or less instantly. Noora has about the same strength in her voice as Nitte had, and she can also tone it down and sing beautiful. So in conclusion, Noora has a huge vocal range and she is the perfect replacement for the band.

So we have a new singer, but the music is the same as it was in "Steel". Energetic power metal that takes no prisoners. I have to say though that the band has increased their influential width. For instance, I notice some classic 80's sound in "Into The Heart of Danger" and I hint some inspiration from Lita Ford in "Out On The Streets". And even if I like the fact that the band is trying out new sounds and styles, I feel that they have some way too go before they can master the fine arts of musical variation.

But just like in "Steel", it is the powerful and fast songs that is stealing the show. The opener "Let It Roar" sets the bar with a fierce scream and some good work on the synth while "Neuromancer" keeps the momentum with a adrenaline kick that is highly addicting, but the true top speed is measured in "Fight, Kill, Die" where the band is speeding faster than a Formula 1 car. There is, however, some songs that does not stand out for its speed, but for its great musicality. The mid-tempo track "Kingdom" has probably the best musical performance in the album and the solo is also pretty sweet. Then we also have the groovy "Over The Top" that is simple, but effective in its performance. It definitely shows that Battle Beast can write other styles than just powerful songs.

But all is not well in "Battle Beast". "Black Ninja" may have some nice Nightwish vibes (a attribute that "Out of Control" also have), but the chorus is way too boring to even care about, and "Into The Heart of Danger" is about thirty years late. That songs is stinking so much 80's that it is ridiculous

"Battle Beast" is very much alike its predecessor, but it has some better variation and the new singer impresses with her vocal range. I still like "Steel" a little better since it has more of the unstoppable raw force that the band is so good at creating, but I cannot deny that this follow up is great and that it strengthen the band's position as one of the biggest rising stars in the metal world.

Songs worthy of recognition: Kingdom, Let It Roar, Neuromancer

Rating: 8/10 Black Ninjas

www.battlebeast.fi/
twitter.com/BattleBeast

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No More Hollywood Endings