Enforcer has had some solid success in their career with their easily accessible traditional Heavy Metal style. With some many bands going back to more old-school stylings it’s easy for bands to get lost in the shuffle. Enforcer has been able to stand out ahead of the pack with consistent material and commitment to their style. While the band has constantly gone on record to state that they aren’t merely an old-school retro act, their latest album, entitled Nostalgia (Nuclear Blast) seems to beg to differ. 

Nostalgia is the perfect title for Enforcer’s sixth album. It is exactly what you get. Each and every song hits like an anthem that would have come out in 1987. Songs vary from hard rock, pulse-racing thrashers, and even ballads. 

Yes, ballads. 

Don’t worry. The ballads featured on this release aren’t of the Poison or Dokken variety. ‘Heartbeats’ comes in soft but powerful and delivers the same chills as Dio did back in his prime. The song has a real ‘Don’t Talk to Strangers’ vibe that I absolutely love. Olof Wikstrand’s vocals are engaging and pitch-perfect while never overdoing it. No overabundance of falsettos will be found here.

Wikstrand easily switches gears with his vocal deliveries as the music calls for it. Some tracks come in faster and trashy while others stay true to the traditional NWOBHM style that Enforcer is known for. The rest of the band do their part with some of their most engaging guitar work yet. There is no shortage of cool riffs and melodies to be found here. 

With a run time of over forty minutes, Enforcer is able to keep the listener engaged by constantly changing up their tempo from faster to slower tracks. This is definitely an album that you will want to go back and revisit. 

With their excellent songwriting and production, Enforcer do an incredible job of capturing the sound and the feel of the time period when Heavy Metal ruled the world. So many songs feel like a musical montage of that time period. Sure, at times it may feel silly or even a little cheesy but you’ll have a smile across your face the entire time. 

Buy the album here:

https://enforcer.bfan.link/nostalgia-album.yde

7 / 10

ANDREW RISCH