REVIEW: CRUEL FORCE – DAWN OF THE AXE

After an extended period of hibernation, Cruel Force are back with a new album that any speed, black, thrash, or classic heavy metal enjoyer will bang their heads to.

Underground cult thrash act Cruel Force return with their third full length album and the first in over a decade. Before we take a deeper dive, let’s see what the fine folks at Shadow Kingdom Records have to say before we get on with the proceedings:

SHADOW KINGDOM RECORDS is proud to present CRUEL FORCE‘s long-awaited third album, Dawn of the Axe, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.

Truest of the true, Germany’s CRUEL FORCE burst onto the scene in 2008 with the Into the Crypts… demo. While many have tried to emulate the ancient German (black)thrash sound, CRUEL FORCE brimmed with an authenticity that could not be denied, as well as songwriting that added to that noble tradition rather than lazily picking at its corpse. Their two successive albums, 2010’s The Rise of Satanic Might and 2011’s Under the Sign of the Moon, made CRUEL FORCE a certifiably CULT name in the international metal underground. Sadly, the band fell into a hiatus following that second album, but returned reinvigorated with the comeback 7″ EP Across the Styx in 2022 and are ready to make up for lost time with their imminent third album for new label home SHADOW KINGDOM.

Titled Dawn of the Axe, CRUEL FORCE’s long-awaited new album is, in many ways, a new chapter for the band. As presaged by that short-length, Dawn of the Axe harkens to dustier, more archaic times – ones where subgenre delineations weren’t so strict and all was mostly HEAVY METAL. For sure, CRUEL FORCE can still thrash with the best of them – regular thrash, “blackthrash,” whatever – but their sound carries a strong old-style speed metal edge reminiscent of ’80s Kreator, Iron Angel, and Germany’s Deathrow, sharp as an axe and just as lethal. And while the blackened elements of the first two albums have been dialed back some here, the overall speed of LP#3 is, in fact, faster. But as Dawn of the Axe slices onward, it soon becomes apparent that that the quartet are subtly integrating a more rarefied field of influences, with the mysticism of ’70s Rainbow and especially Scorpions most prominent as well as the blue-collar thrust of early US metal – again, all before the development of speed metal or thrash. Thus, the nine songs comprising the 39-minute album exude a wider variety of moods and dynamics, and also sees CRUEL FORCE exploring their more epic side, with three of those songs topping six minutes. No matter the mood or dynamic, though, energy bristles from every second of Dawn of the Axe – riff, rhythm, lead, vocal, EVERYTHING – and with the slightly-more-atmospheric recording style (or a more “mysterious” production, perhaps), it all gels together to create the band’s strongest and most complete statement to date. No matter how you (axe)slice it, there’s no wimping out whatsoever!

It’s rare for a band to be away a full decade and then come back with their best work, but such is the case with CRUEL FORCE and Dawn of the Axe. There’s some strange magick brewing in the Devil’s Dungeon, and they’ve crossed the Styx to bring you that Power Surge! To celebrate this momentous occasion, SHADOW KINGDOM will also be reissuing on a worldwide scale the band’s first two albums: the time of CRUEL FORCE is NOW!
-Shadow Kingdom Records

Dawn of the Axe is my first encounter with Cruel Force and thankfully it was a very pleasant one. The album has no frills and is most certainly a straightforward record for speed and thrash metal purists. There’s no point in needlessly prattling on with flowery language so let’s get down to it and break this down track by track:

1. Azrael’s Dawn is an opening instrumental that sets the tone for what’s to come. A galloping drum beat and distant guitars lead us into the true opener…

2. At the Dawn of the Axe kicks into high gear immediately. This is fast, dark, and immediately irreverent. The aforementioned axe isn’t merely an implement for which to deliver violence. It’s treated as a portent of doom! It’s a threat, a promise, and a warning of the heavy speed that is ahead.

3. Night of Thunder offers the briefest of respites at the start of the track before shifting back into full-on speed assault mode. Classic thrash tropes make a welcome appearance here giving you a short chance to take a breath before the headbanging resumes, if you even had the courage to stop in the first place. Get back into the pit, coward!

4. Death Rides the Sky mixes things up with a smattering of riffs and time changes. It’s an ominous tune in which the titular axe makes a return. When the band reaches out to different riffs and signatures, they return to the classic thrash chugs soon after as a sort of launching pad before striking out in different directions. The holder of the axe is taking some swings, and so is the band.

5. Devil’s Dungeon is powered by a deceptively simple riff that anchors the track so well. Double-kick drums punch through at the right times to turn up the heaviness knob. A brief instrumental interlude just after the halfway point adds atmosphere and anticipation before wrapping up the song on a very high note.

6. Watchtower of Abra is an atmospheric, tone-setting instrumental that takes us to the next track…

7. Across the Styx starts us off with an ancient Mediterranean-sounding riff that then kicks into speed-metal fury while maintaining that feel of antiquity. I don’t mean to sound reductive and I mean this in the best way possible: this might be the best speed-metal tribute to Gates of Babylon one could ever record. It’s evocative of the classics in more ways than one but stands strong thanks to the faster and heavier elements thrown into the mix.

8. Power Surge if you’re in a metal or rock band, you can’t go wrong with writing a song about electricity (or a huge train.) This is a nice return to normalcy and familiarity with a straightforward thrasher after the grandeur of the previous track. It’s fast, it’s heavy, and it certainly lives up to the title.

9. Realm of Sands launches into action with a guitar lick that gives way to the aggressive riffing that we’ve come to expect. This is another track that gives itself some space lets things ride to get to where it’s going. This extra canvas gives the guitars a great place to shred while keeping the listener in an ethereal zone. A slow, acoustic interlude ends the album on a more distinctive note.

Wrapping up:

Look, this album wastes absolutely no time delivering a message and getting to the point, so I won’t either. This is a quality thrash/speed metal record that is packed with fast riffs, aggressive vocals, dark imagery, some experimentation, and absolutely no filler. This is so much fun that I have to heartily recommend it to traditional metal fans who want a straightforward heavy album with no gimmicks. If you’re into current bands like Evil Invaders, Ranger, or more classic acts like Razor, Exodus, or even Venom, this will absolutely satisfy your steely thirst. Dawn of the Axe won’t blow your mind, because Cruel Force is happily content with blowing your entire face off.