Locomotive Breath
A
one-man band formed by Enforcer's bassist Tobias
Lindqvist, Terminal
also
plays heavy metal but instead of the typical and classic influences
of the former, Tobias explores old school metal from the Communist
bloc. Bands like Pokolgep (Hungary) or Aria (Russia) are
obvious influences here. Add
Slovenian lyrics (even though this is a Swedish project) and you're in business. While this is can be
interpreted as a gimmick, the quality is through the roof and I'd listen to this short demo all day.
Eastern
bloc heavy metal could be described as a super melodic form of Iron
Maiden influenced twin guitar acrobatics.
Aria were known as a Maiden clone but they were even more melodic and
had hard rock leanings compared to the Brits. I think the fact that
Steve Harris and company were, alongside Judas Priest, the most
popular European metal band of the 80s had a lot to do with the sound
developed in these communist countries, mostly secluded from Western
Europe. They were the biggest around (watch Behind
the Iron Curtain) so it's logical that their influence was grand. It's fun to hear a band that's inspired by what these countries were
doing, it's some sort of second hand influence, it's like if NWOBHM
was filtered through
a bunch of eastern European nations and
thrown into a big pool full of vodka.
Heavy
Metal Lokomativa
is like a shot of vodka, it's only six minutes long but oh boy, it
rips hard. The two songs are showcasing two different sides, the
first one, the title track is
a fast track with pummeling riffs and super solid leads of epic
might. It definitely has this locomotive vibe like an old Russian
train making its way through the snowy landscapes of Siberia. On the other hand, “Slovo”
(farewell
in English)
is more subdued, slower and emotional with some slight AOR
tendencies but still retains the wonderful melodic leads of its
predecessor. Terminal
doesn't
have any speed metal influences like
Enforcer and the execution, ambiance and feel are more fringe,
obscure and enjoyable. The
mix is tight and the instrumentation is quite well done. I assume
Lindqvist did everything himself, he's a pretty talented fellow then!
Tobias'
vocals are legit, the
Slovenian lyrics are giving them an original vibe and I always liked
trad metal sung in another language, it's fun and fresh. The lyrics are apparently located in cheese country but goddamn, who cares, the Metalucifer metal school is a highly respectable institution. His voice is
not quite powerful but the vocal lines are very catchy, he's not
too high pitched and doesn't kill the vibe with unnecessary
screeching falsettos. Nevertheless, the real stars are the guitars, they're singing beautifully and you
should listen to what they're saying.
A
new single will be released this July but I can't wait for a full
length! Impressive stuff, guys.
I
believe both the tapes (2 pressings on Ljudkassett)
and the 7 inches vinyl (Electric Assault) are sold out but you can
download it for free or pay what you on Bandcamp.
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