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BLITZKRIEG
Blitzkrieg

Mighty Music (2024)
Rating: 8.5/10

During a month which sees New Wave Of British Heavy Metal stalwarts Blitzkrieg and Satan (Songs In Crimson) releasing albums, both fronted by Brian Ross, one can only celebrate one of the genres most underrated vocalists. Ross, the lone original founding member of Blitzkrieg has been toiling away for decades, leading varying line-ups into battle beyond the trends and now the band has reached its 11th outing, if you include 2015’s A Time Of Changes: 30th Anniversary Edition.

Including Ross, the current formation of Blitzkrieg is as follows: Nick Jennison (guitar), Alan Ross (guitar), Liam Ferguson (bass) and Matt Graham (drums). As expected, this is another hard rocking platter and more, a true time machine into the halcyon days of heavy metal as the defiant ‘You Won’t Take Me Alive’ drips with nostalgic aplomb but while also bristling with strong riffs. Indeed, it’s the riffs which propel this album to greater, steelier levels and maintain a slickness and fluidity as showcased on ‘The Spider’.

It’s been six years since the last album, Judge Not!, but it’s as if the band has never been away. All the tracks here immediately stick to the ears, whether it’s the bombastic closer ‘On Olympus High – Aphrodite’s Kiss’, the Halloween movie inspired ‘The Night He Came Home’ or the anthemic ‘If I Told You’ with its esoteric subjects.

Blitzkrieg are certainly open to variation, not just lyrically but musically too, but the real joys are the straight up metal tracks like ‘Above The Law (Pull The Trigger Pt. 3)’ and ‘Vertigo’, which is rich in riffage and dark melody. It’s all here, a hotbed of brooding vintage magic alongside contemporary cleverness.

Everything about this opus feels and sounds warm as I envisage autumnal fires and I’m caressed by the crisp smoky air which runs through the emotive ‘On Olympus High – Aphrodite’s Kiss’. Not every heavy metal band sounds timeless, but with this album Blitzkrieg once again proves that class is permanent.

Neil Arnold

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