Angel Sword – World Fighter Review

[Cover art by @subhuman_being_]

It’s impossible for me to be impartial here, so I’ll go ahead and get it out in the open: I am a fan of Angel Sword. It may seem a fairly innocuous statement, but if there’s something I’ve realized about myself since I began writing its that I find I’m often a fan of albums more so than I am of bands. Given the instant access to a plethora of music, it’s kinda hard not to be. It applies to classics as well as newer bands: I adore Skydancer and The Gallery, but it’d feel wrong to consider myself a Dark Tranquility fan. I love Oksennus’s Kolme toista, but could I go in depth about the subtitles across their discography? Not really, no, especially not in the way I could bullshit for hours about how Bathory’s Requiem is an essential piece of the puzzle or about how Illud Divinum Insanus was an unfortunate inevitability for Morbid Angel or about how I am slightly concerned with Fuego Eterno’s cocaine budget after Trance Tras El Velo Del Inconsciente.

Point being: I like Angel Sword and what they’re about. Ripped denim anthemic heavy metal with hard rock hooks and a sneakily smooth velvet collar, often revealed in the form of smokey 70s’ leads that have carried them well since the Ripping The Heavens EP and now across three albums. They’ve managed to find their own voice, somewhere between Nordic heavy metal classics like Heavy Load and Mindless Sinner, the might ‘n’ magic of MANOWAR, the suave confidence of Thin Lizzy, the “it’s all rock ‘n’ roll” attitude of Motörhead and (perhaps most closely) their fellow Finnish hard rockers Peer Günt.

Frankly, there’s not a whole lot more to add with their latest album, World Fighter that would mean much to anyone that isn’t already familiar with the band. If you aren’t and the above description appeals to you, check the singles. If you like them go back and discover the magic of Rebels Beyond The Pale or visit the glowing backstreets of Neon City while you wait for the rest of World Fighter to be released, you won’t be disappointed in any of them. For those already familiar, the following will make a lot more sense:

World Fighter attempts to strike a balance between the fiery spunk of Rebels and the hard-pounding anthems of Neon City, and, for the most part, achieves it. From opener “Vigilantes” it’s pretty clear Angel Sword are pushing the gas a little harder,  It still works in mid-tempo territory that gives the songs plenty of room to breathe, but there’s a bit more of a skip in their step from the Rebels days while retaining the easy-to-learn singalong chorus aspect of Neon City. “Weekend Warrior” feels like it’d be off the latter album–complete with hot licks a’plenty mid-riff and the signature trucker key changes–at least until the solo hits, giving the song that extra free-wheelin’ “feel” boost that felt more characteristic of Rebels.

The production feels sharper than that of Neon City, crisper around the edges while still putting more emphasis on punch than Rebels. It makes moments like the choir use on “Church Of Rock” radiate, the light touches of clean guitar glimmering across their chapel of amps and beer. The slow, hammering pace feels destined for a stadium full of proper lighters (no LCD’s, please), wrapping up the A-side quite nicely.

Clearly written as a proper LP, the B-side smashes the gas yet again with “Powerglove,” Angel Sword’s quickest number yet. The bright, lightly overdriven twin guitars meet in Priest-style fashion–this feels like Angel Sword pulling from the Stained Class school of thought. And while vocalist/guitarist Jerry Razors is certainly no Halford, I am once again amazed at the range of emotion he is able to portray while still sounding like he chain smokes Marlboro Reds while drinking bourbon from a paper cup at the dirt bike track. Much like the music, it’s rough around the edges with a tender side beating behind the armor. Angel. Sword. What a perfect name for music so battle-hardened yet cherubic.

The variation in tempo and song structure is a welcome move from Neon City. As much as I loved that particular collection of anthems, they felt a bit more bare-knuckle compared to the velvety finesse of Rebels Beyond The Pale. World Fighter manages to reclaim that element without trying to recreate what they’ve already done. The shuffling boogie–complete with roller coaster bass runs compliments of bassist Eviltaker-of “Against All Odds” feels natural for precisely where Angel Sword are now (probably somewhere between 1983-85).

Amongst the glorious backing choirs providing a spiritual experience, the closing title track brings it all home: Angel Sword’s goal is to create the definitive Angel Sword record. It’d be a lie to say I love this more than Rebels, but it’s hard to detach from the record that made you fall in love with a band in the first place. I’m walking away from running towards World Fighter as a more than worthy addition to the band’s discography. Every record–present company certainly included–manages to carve out its own personality in the soul of the band. With every spin I’ve grown to love and appreciate it more and more, both in the context of the other albums and for its own merit. I’ve learned, for the fifth time now, the secret to enjoying Angel Sword is to get to know the songs, and damn if the band don’t have a knack for making it fun and easy to do so. World Fighter does exactly what an Angel Sword record should do: simply rock, while tearing the heart right out and putting it back just a little better than it was before.