Forefathers of Viking metal return with a vengeance!

Swedish Viking metal pioneers HEAVY LOAD are back with a 40th anniversary album!
The band that started the Swedish wave of heavy metal is back: HEAVY LOAD! Four decades have passed since HEAVY LOAD released their latest album: “Stronger than Evil” (1983). Years before the rest of the northern world, their songs ventured into Viking themes and existential lyrics, spearheading a movement way ahead of its time. The compositions are dramatic and render a great variety of moods, while passionate innovation and creative fervor are always shining bright in every song on the album – pioneering 101!

HEAVY LOAD’s comeback album “Riders of the Ancient Storm” rings of their well-known sound and songwriting. Thanks to an epic pact between the band and No Remorse Records, the band’s whole back catalog is brought back as high quality re-releases. After re-releasing “Stronger than Evil” in 2018 and “Death or Glory” in 2019, “Metal Conquest” will follow in 2024 and “Full Speed at High Level” later. The records come with bonus tracks and old recordings never before heard by the public, and extensive booklets. It’s a release long awaited by people all over the globe – and it will be followed by many concerts to come. HEAVY LOAD is back!

HEAVY LOAD was established in Stockholm during the grim winter of 1974-1975 by the two brothers Ragne Wahlquist (vocals, guitars and keyboards) and Styrbjörn Wahlquist (vocals and drums). The vision and the passion of the Wahlquist brothers was always the kernel of the band’s determined drive – their drive to venture out on musical journeys and to spread their music and lyrics to the world. The two inventive minds wouldn’t have outsiders get in the way of shaping their own future as heavy metal pioneers: As producers and owners of the Thunderload Studio, they’ve shaped a sound that would quickly become the blueprint for European doom metal, starting with Candelmass’ groundbreaking “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus” album and followed by the band’s iconic “Nightfall”. And with Yngwie Malmsteen, Morbid and Hammerfall, the fruitful exploration of new ground wouldn’t stop.

Speaking of explorers: The Viking heritage has been an important source of inspiration ever since their childhood. The brothers’ emotional connection to people of a remote past, people with whom they share everlasting human challenges, was destined to find an outlet in their music. As a consequence, the brothers merged ‘70s Hard Rock with Viking settings and sentiments, resulting in the band’s distinctive style of music, lyrics and artwork for their album covers: Viking Metal – a style which came to inspire later bands in Sweden and elsewhere, a style that now has many followers around the globe. However, although the Viking themes have always been a salient trait in HEAVY LOAD’s songwriting, some of their songs rendered stories with other settings. No matter the setting, though, all songs have their source deep down in the brothers’ emotional life.

WAHLGAARD SAGA: Novel by Ragne Wahlquist of Heavy Load is also available now.

The tale finds resonance in Heavy Load’s music. So intimate is the proximity between the music and the novel, that where words paint the scenes and images of the novel, music creates atmospheres with timbres, tones, and lyrics. The series is a family saga in a Viking age setting and several scenes are also rendered in the lyrics on the new Heavy Load album, “Riders of the Ancient Storm”.

REVIEW

One of my favorite things about the NWOTHM movement has been the resurgence of many of metal’s old guard, as I’ve mentioned before. HEAVY LOAD was a band that I was vaguely aware of, but had never actually dug into until recently… partly because their records were impossible to find in the States and they also weren’t streaming at the time. But I’ve fallen deeply in love with this style of metal this year, and was excited when given the opportunity to review this record.

Their logo is simple, but the added flourishes to the lettering really add some character and flair to it. As for the album art, it’s beautiful and encapsulates HEAVY LOAD’s resurrection. Two Viking warriors find a frozen biker in the fjords as he unthaws. It’s pure metal bliss.

We begin things with “Ride the Night”, and literally from the opening call I knew that this entire record would be a banger. The double vocal tandem from the Wahlquist brothers is untouchable, and it was clear from the very beginning that HEAVY LOAD hadn’t lost a single step. There’s an addictive, nearly orchestral, riff interspersed throughout, and the chorus is impossible to not belt along with.

Following that hell of an opener, we go on to “We Rock the World”, and it had a bit more of a bluesy vibe to it, which I personally love. This track felt like it belonged in the 80s, and that’s not a detraction, it’s a wonderful nostalgia trip back into arguably, heavy metal’s best decade. Truly phenomenal guitarwork here, with an gnarly solo and a killer riff.

After that, we usher in “Wallhalla Warriors”. The keys here totally steal the show, that intro is divine. One thing I love about HEAVY LOAD thus far, as a newbie listener (Loader?) is the way their lyrics aren’t just rhythm and verse, but they tell a story and weave a tale. Metal is always needing more storytellers! Absolute facemelter of a bass solo at around 2:10 that had me grooving, kudos to Torbjörn Ragnesjö! Seriously the bridge section in this track is on par with some of the best Dio-era RAINBOW.

Next, we came to “Angel Dark” (which sounds like the name of a NWOBHM band to me), and that’s also what this song reminded me of. Like track 2, it would’ve felt right at home in the 80s. The reprising chant of “Another angel white is another angel dark”, was addicting to hear and again an earworm. Really rad solo here! The song even fades out like an 80s song, top marks.

Onto side 2 (aka, the second half of the album), and we kick it off with “Slave No More”, the longest track on the record at 8:22. This track has an almost doom tinge to it that really makes it stand out against the rest of the album thus far. Because of that length and a bit of the slowness, I felt that it might’ve went on a little too long, but that’s not a detraction against the band, and this is still an amazing song. I just prefer 6 minute songs vs 8 minute ones.

Next, we had “Raven is Calling”, which is a much faster song (borderline speed metal in parts). The recurrent key riff is a treat to my ears. I think this track reminded me a bit of RUNNING WILD, minus the pirates. Probably my favorite solo of the record thus far kicks in at about the 3:50 mark. One thing I haven’t mentioned yet is the drums of Nic Savage, which are outstanding throughout the record, but in this track is really when I noticed them stand out.

That brings us to “Sail Away”, the final non-instrumental track of the release. This is a perfect song. It’s epic in scale, with a solid groove, an amazing vocal performance and some really grand lyrics. If HEAVY LOAD never does anything again, consider this their magnum opus.

Finally, we come to “Butterfly Whispering”, a 7 minute acoustic instrumental piece to bookend the record. I’m not a musician, so I’ll do my best for this one! The guitar in the beginning is an absolute treat, with an almost melancholic tone to it. I really appreciate it when musicians just show off and say “Yeah, I can do that!”

CONCLUSION

What a comeback! HEAVY LOAD have returned with their unique brand of metal, and in doing so remind us all of just how influential they really were to metal’s development. Their fingerprints can be felt on countless record since their early 80s split, and their resurrection is on par with SATAN and CIRITH UNGOL. A new classic for a new age!

TheNWOTHM Score: 9/10

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