Time Signature Defcon 1...

Genre: speed metal

The debut full-length by Finnish speed metallers, Ranger, "Where Evil Dwells" follows the two EPs "Knights of Darkness" and "Shock Skull" as well as a bunch of demos.

The style delivered on this, rather short album (7 tracks, 38 minutes) continues down the same road as on the two EPs. Thus, the seven tracks on the album fall under the rubric of old school speed metal. While the tempos are fast, and there are a few thrashy moments, the songs on this album are best described as traditional metal played at high speed (think old Overkill meets Iron Maiden). And this (still) works very well, as the listener is bombarded with guitar melodies, Dave Murray-ish solos, fast drums, and really hysterical vocals that fall somewhere between Paul Baloff and Bobby Blitz.

The seven songs are very good and extremely well put together, and there is nothing at all wrong with the musicianship. The production is a bit rough around the edges, but it adds an authentic retro feel to the album.

The "Shock Skull" release took the quality a tad down from "Knights of Darkness", but on "Where Evil Dwells", the quality is taken up a notch again. In other words, this is a friggin' nice speed metal album, and fans of early Helloween, Maiden, Whiplash, early Metallica and the like should definitely check it out.

Time Signature Omen of doom...

Genre: speed metal

The Finnish speed metal are just about to release their next EP - a two song 7'' which will be unleashed on May 7 on Ektro Records. It's not secret that I quite enjoyed their previous EP "Knights of Darkness" with is supercharged blend of speed metal and NWoBHM aesthetics.

So, do the two tracks on this EP live up to the predecessor? Well, not quite, I think. The title track 'Shock Skull' just does not work that well for me. Granted, it is characterized by the band's fierce speed metal style, but it comes across a bit too chaotic and generally too over the top - especially in the vocals department. Fortunately, 'Omen of Doom' is a completely different story, as this song is totally awesome. Much more so than the title track, this one captures what i really liked about the previous EP: the fast tempo and the guitar harmonies and other elements associated with NWoBHM, and the hysterical vocals suit this track much better.

As with the previous EP, the musicianship is top notch, and the production is lo-fi in a retro fashion. And, as with the previous EP, I don't really think that a retro production is necessary, but it seems that the band have made this part of their trademark style.

In fact, it is solely because of this track that I give the EP 3,5 stars - it's THAT good. I'd say that the EP is worth purchasing because of 'Omen of Doom'... who knows, you might even like the title track.

Time Signature Supreme evil surprise attack...

Genre: thrash/speed metal

Take a look at the cover art, you will be misled into thinking that this is the reissue of some obscure mid-80s heavy metal album. But in fact, "Knights of Darkness" was released this year.

The 80s feel of the album is no coincidence though, because Ranger embrace a decidedly retrospective sound on this EP as they combine elements of 80s speed metal, 80s thrash metal and traditional heavy metal. This means that you will find both Iron Maiden-esque twin-guitar noodling, as in 'Steel Dawn', and evil Slayer-like high speed guitar attacks, as in 'Supreme Evil'. And this blend works extremely well, as "Knights of Darkness" manages to both pay respect to the awesomeness of 80s metal and take it a step further in their own direction simply through the above mentioned blend.

Not only is the music retrospective, so is the production which is characterized by the same reverb-saturated sound as many 80s metal releases, while the drums and guitars have a quite organic sound to them. To be honest, I do not think that taking the production back to the 80s is necessary. The music itself should be able to carry the 80s spirit, and, in this case, it does. I actually would not mind hearing "Knights of Darkness" with a more contemporary production.

At the end of the day, I think that this is a hugely successful release which respectfully pays homage to the great musc that came out ot the metal scene in the 80s. Fans of early speed and thrash metal should definitely invest in it.