BLADESTORM – Wrangler Of Thunder (Album Review)

Wrangling steeds of chrome and steel.

Sometimes it takes the changing of a name and a brand new flock of musicians for a vision to come to full fruition, and that is the basic story behind the short-lived underground Polish heavy metal band Savager and the successor outfit led by vocalist Bartek Koniuszewski in Bladestorm that has risen like a phoenix from the ashes of the former.

Taken at face value, what this now fully codified quintet represents is metal distilled down to its most primal quality, refined by the speed-obsessed style that took hold of Germany in the mid-1980s and given a modern coat of paint for production. It might seem a contradiction that an album penned in a subgenre that was all but fully codified 40 years ago could also exist as a shining example of metal modernity, but old tricks ultimately prove that best wherein this outfit’s 2024 debut LP “Wrangler Of Thunder” is concerned.

One look at the post-apocalyptic hell with five leather-clad bikers at its center and parallels to Rebellion‘s 2003 ode to metal’s rebellious spirit “Born A Rebel” are inevitably drawn. The comparison fits from a sonic perspective as Bartek‘s throaty roar carries the same Boltendahl-inspired character that Michael Seifert has repeatedly brought to the Grave Digger spinoff project in question, though in this case the songwriting is a tad more stripped down and to the point.

For their part, Jarek Zygmański and newly acquired co-guitarist Grzegorz Lewandowski play well off each other and bring that same dueling leads approach that Rebellion imported from the pre-Alex Ritt era of Grave Digger presenting something flashy enough, but maybe a little more restrained than Tipton and Downing during their heyday. Perhaps even more auspicious is the speed and constancy of Piotr Kołodziejczyk‘s kit work and the often fancy and prominent contributions of Kacper Ptak on the bass, the latter taking a few more cues from Harris and Demaio than any bassist to be in Rebellion or Grave Digger‘s employ.

\When compared against the extremely simple and rhythm-centered quality of Storm Of Blades, this time around the formula plays heavily into the two guitar arrangements and finds a far richer blend of ideas playing off the same explosive, speed-obsessed formula. Kinetic frenzies of speed riffing and madcap drumming, frequently chased by surprisingly fancy bass work such as “Predator” and “Onward To Victory” ratchet the aggression factor up with zero apologies, yet also take plenty of time to employ those dueling harmonized guitar lines after the example of Iron Maiden to further spice things up.

Occasional atmospheric richness via gang vocal arrangements like the one that kicks off the opener and title entry “Wrangler Of Thunder”, which has a slight Native American-like vibe to it, further augment this album’s expansive character, though it’s the extended banger “Speed Demon” that truly gets into the weeds with what can be described as a truly spellbinding atmospheric interlude at its center that throws the whole album for an impressive loop, though surrounding it is the usual foray of metallic fury.

If Conan The Barbarian had come of the age in the 80s and taken up with a motorcycle gang rather than usurping kingdoms in a bygone age, this album could have said movie’s soundtrack. Bladestorm might be billed as heavy metal, but enough speed and power metal trappings are oozing out of this baby to put it in the same league as the most intense offerings out of Grave Digger and Running Wild, while the outright carnage that comes to pass via the last original entry on here “I Am The Beast” barrels headlong into thrash territory.

Likewise, the rendition of Manowar‘s “Hail And Kill” that closes things out proves just as formidable as the original, with Bartek‘s even dirtier roar providing an interesting contrast to Eric Adam‘s quasi-operatic approach. This is how it should be, it’s been done before, and by all that is metal, it should be done again and again.

Released By: Independent
Release Date: April 27th, 2024
Genre: Old-School Heavy Metal

Musicians:

• Kacper Ptak / Bass, Vocals
• Piotr Kołodziejczyk / Drums
• Jarek Zygmański / Guitars, Vocals
• Bartek Koniuszewski / Vocals
• Grzegorz Lewandowski / Guitars

“Wrangler Of Thunder” Track-Listing:

1. Wrangler of Thunder
2. Predator
3. I Set My Sail
4. Onward to Victory
5. Speed Demon
6. Scream & Shout
7. I Am the Beast
8. Hail and Kill (Manowar cover)