To the surprise of literally no-one, the third full-length studio release from Swedish historical power metal crew Civil War is all about fighting. Lots and lots of fighting. Battles, wars, heroism, rebellions, weapons and invasions, all the usual boxes remain firmly ticked by the band formed from Sabaton separatists.
Having undergone a couple of changes in personnel since their previous album released in 2016, Invaders (Napalm Records) is the first record to feature hugely talented former Beyond Twilight and Darkology vocalist Kelly Sundown Carpenter. Also, continuing what is fast becoming a tradition, the Swedish war aficionados have also recruited another former Sabaton alumni, guitarist Thorbjörn “Thobbe” Englund.
This latest metal battlefield begins with the appropriately titled ‘Oblivion’, an apocalyptic, sweeping biblical epic that sounds like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade meets Iced Earth. The seriously catchy ‘Dead Man’s Glory’ is the story of Irish resistance against the Vikings while the powerful title track recalls the Native American victory at the Battle of the Wabash in 1791. The Kamelot-style dark drama of ‘Heart of Darkness’ follows, the song based on the Joseph Conrad novel and Francis Ford Coppola movie Apocalypse Now.
Emotive power ballad ‘Andersonville’ is about the horrors of life inside a Confederate prisoner-of-war camp as told through letters written to his wife by a Union soldier. As is usual for this brand of metal, the choruses to do much of the heavy lifting so it’s no surprise to find that the effervescent ‘Carry On’, the upbeat militaristic stomp of ‘Soldiers and Kings’ and the simply fantastic ‘Warrior Soul’ all boast hooks which are sure to stay in the memory long after the record has ended.
Based on the Kurt Vonnegut novel of the same name, ‘Slaughterhouse 5’ possesses a methodical mid-paced crawl before the album ends with the anthemic and inspirational ‘Battle Of Life’ and a thumping new version of ‘Custer’s Last Stand’, a cut which first appeared on their self titled 2012 EP and still sounds suspiciously like Iron Maiden‘s ‘Powerslave’.
Boasting a punchy production and compositions which allow Carpenter the room to shine while the rhythm section of bassist Petrus Granar (surprisingly not actually a former member of Sabaton) and drummer Daniel Mullback remains as solid as ever while keyboard player Daniel Mÿhr adds to the atmosphere and drama. Fist-pumping power metal of the highest order, Invaders is another great record by a band who deserve wider recognition than they currently receive.
Buy the album here: https://lnk.to/CW-Invaders
8 / 10
GARY ALCOCK