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TOWER HILL
Deathstalker

No Remorse (2023)
Rating: 7/10

I have to chuckle at the fact that grown men are still coughing up this sort of sword n’ sorcery metal decades after the original role playing nerds got their geek. This Canadian clan stemmed from the beard of vocalist R.F. Traynor who has been joined by guitarists Jeremy Puffer and Chris Nunz, while the bass and drums duties are performed by Cam Dakus and Mitch Stykalo respectively.

Raise a tankard and sword then and become one with the trolls, orcs, wizards and dwarves as Tower Hill takes you on a boisterous adventure as if one were reading a fantasy novel from 1987. From the opening strains of the title track it’s clear that Tower Hill likes its traditional and power metal whiff as galloping drums provide tidal waves of heroism in the face of adversity. It’s a shame that the bass seems so thin in the mix because everything else is delivered so steely and rampant, in turn prompting me to beat my chest in macho agreement.

Tower Hill channels a glossier New Wave Of British Heavy Metal mixed with Euro metal. ‘The Claw Is The Law’ is speedily anthemic and dragged toward the enemy fortress by Traynor’s bombastic croons. There is a real fiery zip to the axework and it is the duelling riffs which enable the tales to come to life, with ‘Fighting Spirits’ being a prime example of such roaring battalions.

This is all good fun at its metallic heart, although the novelty of tracks like ‘Antigone’ does tend to wear off rather quickly as the band veers into that Grave Digger territory which I shuddered at after their classic years. Most of the cuts follow a similar loping theme, but it’s metal that will gather the masses who in turn will raise the banners and drunkenly hail Tower Hill as the new gods, especially if they can get on the European festival circuit.

For me, Deathstalker is just another Fighting Fantasy book that brings a sort of cosiness even if I’m left reflecting on the metal scene of the 80s more so, a time when bands like this were squirming from every crack and doing it far better.

Neil Arnold

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