Ambush aren’t as full-on HM as their previous material, here, they’ve dropped their Judas Priest meets Accept trad metal for something a bit more contemporary.
Written by: gdmonline
ARTIST: Ambush (Sweden)
ALBUM: Infidel
LABEL: High Roller Records
SERIAL: HRR 737
YEAR: 2020
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Sweden
LINEUP: Oskar Jacobsson – vocals * Olof Engkvist, Adam Hagelin – guitars * Ludwig Sjoholm – bass * Linus Fritzson – drums
TRACK LISTING: 01 Infidel * 02 Yperite * 03 Leave Them To Die * 04 Hellbiter * 05 The Summoning * 06 The Demon Within * 07 A Silent Killer * 08 Iron Helm Of War * 09 Heart Of Stone * 10 Lust For Blood
RATING: 85/100
WEBLINKS: Site Link
Background
Another of the High Roller Records stable are these Swedish metallers Ambush. We reviewed these guys back in late 2015 with their album ‘Desecrator’, and with that effort they nearly sprung a surprise by making it into my year-end top 10. It’s taken them nearly 5 years to follow up with this latest album ‘Infidel’ which is kinda surprising for a young band, but that’s the way of the industry nowadays.
So what’s happened during that long layoff? Well for starters, they’re not as full-on HM as their previous material. Here, they’ve dropped their Judas Priest meets Accept trad metal for something a bit more contemporary. True, the speed is still there or thereabouts, It’s very listenable, melodic even, and with a talented singer like Oskar Jacobsson, Ambush can go in any number of directions.
The Songs
The title track ‘Infidel’ leads off, with a spirited entrance, like a younger more hungrier version of Bullet. The bass is pumping, the dual guitars deliver like the postman. ‘Yperite’ comes at you with a standard HM backbet, this one will be easy to digest for all you faux metallers out there.
‘Leave Them To Die’ lifts the tempo a notch or two, sounding like a Swedish version of Iron Maiden
‘The Summoning’ sounds like something from the depth of the early 80’s, though it’s only a brief instrumental, soon making way for ‘The Demon Within’ which could’ve been written back in 1983! The riffs are flying off the handle on ‘A Silent Killer’, where Oskar tries a vocal impersonation close in sryle to Rob Halford. In fact there are traces all throughout the album of this aspect.
Things pick up once again for the rampant ‘Iron Helm Of War’. It’s big on vocal chants, a metronomic rhythm section and an OTT fantasy element in the lyrics and imagery department.
‘Heart Of Stone’ returns to the tempo of tracks ‘Yperite’ and ‘Hellbiter’, which means it’s stamped and approved for fans of the aforementioned Bullet. By now you’re getting the drift. Ambush and Bullet are blood brothers in metal! To complete the picture, the band gallop off into the sunset with ‘Lust For Blood’, a true Viking warriors anthem from the old world.
In Summary
All in all, ‘Infidel’ is an enjoyable 43 minute romp through the Swedish tundra. For me, I think I preferred the previous album ‘Desecrator’ by a smidgen’s hair width, but when I need to pick up my energy levels, then bands like Ambush, Bullet and Stallion are guaranteed to do the job. Bang thine head.
Video
Hellbiter
