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WALLOP
Hell On Wheels

MDD (2024)
Rating: 7/10

Excuse my ignorance, but I hadn’t realised the fact that German metallers Wallop had returned four years ago with an album entitled Alps On Fire. Way back in 1985 Wallop released an interesting debut full-length in the form of Metallic Alps, and then, or so I thought, disappeared forever two years later. Another surprise is that Wallop features three original members; guitarist Andrea’s Lorz, bassist Stefan Fleischer and drummer Stefan Arnold (ex-Grave Digger), while vocalist Mikk Wega also appeared on the debut outing.

Nothing has really changed after all these years apart from Wega’s vocals, which have obviously matured to a more gravelled tone, but he still boasts a forceful style, especially on the doomy trudge of the title track where the rest of the combo march steadily like the veterans they are.

Hell On Wheels is an album full of grit and grunting, particularly on ‘Hellfire’ and ‘Strike Down’, but Wallop doesn’t hold back on any of the songs. There is a brooding intensity about the record as the percussion rumbles to match the cover art on ‘American 4-4-0’ and ‘Darkness Comes Rising’.

From the off with ‘Battle Cry’ the posse sets up a stall doused in raging fire as Wallop carves similar chunks of heavy rock to the likes of Raven. ‘Stand Up’ is anthemic yet somehow British in its straight edged thudding, and the same can be said for ‘Blinded Eyes’.

There’s no filler here, but then again nothing really catches the eye. However, as a unit this opus is a small immovable object, somewhat stuck in time and battle scarred but without effort the bruises it causes are hefty. Wallop still packs a… wallop, plain and simple.

Neil Arnold

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