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LEADBREAKER
Overdrive

Stormspell (2024)
Rating: 6.5/10

LeadBreaker don’t mess around and race from the traps like a hare with a rocket up its arse. Overdrive is the second album from this Swedish act which, and like so many contemporary metal artists, takes influence from Judas Priest, Accept etc. with sizzling riffs and racing bass and percussion.

The likes of ‘Electro Raider’, ‘Overdrive’ and ‘Riot’ all skip merrily along like rather tepid speed metal outbursts, although the guys appear more potent with slightly slower and crunchier episodes such as ‘Hammer Of Vengeance’. The big problem here though is that the songs are too long and would have harboured far more snap if they’d been shortened. ‘Riot’ is certainly a busy cut, as is ‘Omerta’, but at over seven and six minutes respectively there is just too much fat.

Only ‘Electro Raider’ (at 3:18) feels as zippy as it should be, but even so it’s still solid Swedish metal that probably has more chance of a look in now rather than if it’d been released during the halcyon era. However, so many bands of this traditional metal ilk are vying for pole position and LeadBreaker just doesn’t do enough with their Teutonic fire. ‘Bitchtit Highway’ features a bluesy solo, ‘Meat Heart’ stinks of Accept and ‘The Machine’ is a full steam ahead rocker.

No doubt fans of acts like Ram and Enforcer will dig the hot flashes supplied by this energetic combo, and while Overdrive provided the shot I needed to take on the day, my cravings for it lessen with every listen.

Neil Arnold

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