These Swedes last album ‘Zenith’ was a slight departure from the bands usual style and approach. Having come together again for ‘Nostalgia’ it’s not a case of re-hashing the older sound, to some extent there is more of the old than the previous release but they have taken on board what they came up with last time around and pushed it further, but key, they have mixed it with the speedier numbers that Enforcer fans of old will rejoice with. Elements remain from the former release with the album title track ‘Nostalgia’, which in itself is a beautiful haunting ballad.
Of the return to speed, one track of particular note is ‘Coming Alive’. This is fast and furious, albeit a little polished in its production. As Enforcer have developed, it’s no surprise that the band display a heavy use of melody and ambience, this comes across more so on ‘Demon’ and ‘At the End of the Rainbow’. The latter also includes a multi instrumental piece which forms around the solo of this track.
‘Kiss of Death’ combines speed and melody, very much like an early 80’s Scorpions influence. ‘Metal Supremacia’ is a touch rawer and has a seriously good pull off riff occurring. The atmosphere and structure is rather mature during ‘Keep the Flame Alive’, which exudes a real happy vibe whilst exploring and experimenting with time signatures. Where you may traditionally expect a big chorus, the focus is shifted to a lower level which actually enhances the listening experience. It maybe a little out of the box to what is considered “normal”, but the effect is rewarding. Of course, no Enforcer album would be complete with a good old sing along track, one you can pick up almost immediately is ‘When the Thunder Roars’. This is a great positive take away from the album.
Whilst I wouldn’t call this album a return to form, in view of their past material, it not as safe as it could have been, as it includes some of the softer side of the music that came out on the former album. It’s a genuine continuation and augmentation of their development. ‘Nostalgia’ has a touch of everything that we know of Enforcer and I suppose a fitting compilation of their material released to date.
(8/10 Paul Maddison)
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