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CHALLENGER
Force Of Nature

Dying Victims Productions (2024)
Rating: 7/10

Emerging after a five year silence, Slovenian metalheads Challenger finally follow up their 2019 EP Turned To Dust with a sharp and attractive looking eight-song full-length debut album.

What a gem of a return this record is; tight in its construction and galloping like a steel mare across windswept sands. There is a treasure trove of meandering metal to discover here as members Jakob Rejec (vocals and guitar), Urban Železnik (guitar), Samo Stopar (bass) and Toni Pleško (drums) form brisk patterns of traditional metal which fuse seamlessly with speedier outbursts.

From the off, ‘Imperial Madness’ storms the gates like a rampant army led by the lower range vocals and what turns out to be a rather sublime bass performance. Bands like Helstar and Running Wild spring to mind alongside the more classic influences such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

A few times throughout this outing I did question as to whether the vocals were really up to it, so that’s something Jakob Rejec may have to work on if Challenger are going to be the force of nature the album title suggests. Even so, the record does boast a fiery flow as that bass shifts nicely in a central role and when it all comes together there are some really impressive results.

‘Under The Skin’ has that familiar yet duelling axe work that brings Iron Maiden to mind as the mob fluidly motion through well seasoned gallops before some crushing mid-range stomping where Rejec really comes into his own with demonic drools. ‘Victims Of War’ continues the galloping theme, but for me it’s ‘Exhausted Earth’ where the band excels. This should be the sound which Challenger abides by; wistful acoustic guitar and stark and mournful vocals before a steady power metal trudge unveils itself. The track sounds emphatic and grandiose and in a sense rescues the album from a vein of predictability.

In spite of several gear shifts, instrumental ‘Recurrent Universe’ is still very much a typical 80s influenced lope, but if you’re patient with this opus you will discover a few more intriguing aspects. Prime example is ‘Sleepless’ which reminds me of a freshened mixture of punchy rhythmic doom and traditional metal but with extra swagger. The title track is also of interest, hammering and jarring in abrasive fashion and not a world away from a more streamlined Voivod as the vocals drift off into the cosmos.

This is an album that’s not without its flaws but Force Of Nature has a coolness that you just can’t ignore.

Neil Arnold

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