From Beyond (Bonus Digital Booklet Version)

Chronique

The fourth studio long-player from the Arvika, Sweden-based rockers, From Beyond sits nicely in the Enforcer canon, offering up a solid, ten-song set of expertly crafted retro-metal that falls somewhere between vintage, thrash-kissed NWOBHM and early-'80s power metal. Since their inception in 2004, Enforcer (even the name sounds like a Sad Wings of Destiny-era Judas Priest song) have been proudly hoisting the banner of the old school, shamelessly tracking "guitarmonies," bending the whammy bar well past regulation, and peppering their no-frills brand of blue-collar metal with copious falsetto shrieks and dramatic, mid-track drum fills, and From Beyond is no exception. Standout cuts like "One with Fire," "Undying Evil," "The Banshee," and the anthemic title track make no attempts at embracing modernity; rather, they sound as if they were unearthed in cassette tape form from the inside pocket of a long-forgotten, armless, safety pin-adorned, stone-washed jean jacket that hadn't seen the light of day since Adam Curry hosted MTV's Headbanger's Ball. As per usual, Enforcer take the old "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" adage and just flat-out roll with it, which is both good and bad, depending on one's tolerance for nostalgia. What remains to be seen is whether or not they can continue to make something so well-worn sound so vital (which they honestly manage to do here) in the years to come.
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo