Rating: NNNN
The best heavy and hard rock in the world is coming out of Sweden these days. Black Trip are the latest contributors, specializing in NWOTHM riffage and gritty, youthful vocals by Joseph Tholl from Enforcer. Entombed drummer Peter Stjärnvind is on guitar (he co-founded the project with Tholl), along with Enforcer’s Jonas Wikstrand and Exhumed’s Johan Bergebäck and Sebastian Ramstedt. Quite a pedigree.
Tholl’s vocals really make the band’s sound. They’re melodic, spirited and super-cool, backed by an onslaught of guitarmonies and back-to-basics beats. Things rarely get complicated, but variety does come by way of tempo changes and shifting structures. Most of the songs could do with fewer guitar solos (or at least shorter ones), and the lyrics aren’t exactly great art. But that’s not what we’re looking for in metallic hard rock.
Radar stands out for its catchiness, Putting Out The Fire for its terrific chorus, and The Bells for its syncopated riffs.
If they could just rein in the guitarists, things would hit even harder.
Top track: Radar
