Return
Swedish metallers Ambush return with their first full-length album for five years and their first on the Napalm Records label. Evil In All Dimensions is a fine example of powerful, melodic metal in the vein of peak 80s Helloween, but with darker subject matter.
Ambush features all the constituent parts of metal, and they are displayed in abundance on this album. We have a huge pacey rhythm section powered by Oskar Andersson on bass and Linus Fritzson pounding the drums. Add to that the twin leads of Olaf Engkvist and Karl Dotzek, and you’re onto a winner. That’s before the immense vocals of founder Oskar Jacobsson in the great metal tradition of Dickinson, Kiske et al. Wrap it all together and you’ve got yourself a recipe for top-quality metal.
From the first riffs of the title track, you know you’re onto a metal winner. The pace and the power are to the fore while still maintaining a catchy melody.
Track two, “Maskirovka,” is a slightly slower and more intense song. Maskirovka is Russian for deception tactics used particularly in war. It’s a thumping track which reflects the feelings of those faced with maskirovka.
Sign
“Iron Sign” is a rousing call to arms, to rise up against oppression. Another intense, heavy track.
There is violence and revenge at play on “The Night I Took Your Life Away”. A simple tale of a man with a knife gaining revenge on those who killed his family. It feels odd to describe a track with a grim story as a ‘head-nodding winner’ but there you go, that’s what it is.
The only slower track on the album is up next, with “I Fear the Blood”. An emotional track where rhythm, guitars, and vocals blend seamlessly, creating a stunning experience.
The pace is lifted once again on “Come Angel of the Night,” a heavy track full of power and intensity.
“The Reaper” is a thunderous affair powered by Oskar Andersson’s bass. The solo, as in every track so far, is cracking. A perfect fit for the pace of the track.
Probably the fastest track on the album comes next in the form of “Bending the Steel”. Verging on thrash, it has a harem-scarem feel to it—a great track.
Metal albums are often not complete until they have a ‘brothers in arms’ track imploring “Heavy Metal Brethren” to come together and fight for the cause. It is a storming ending to a fabulous album.
Five years is a long wait in anybody’s language, but if this is the result, it’s been well worth waiting for.
Check out my other articles and reviews here. Sparky.
