Release date: 24th April
Label: My Dying Victims
WHIRLWIND was born as the materialization of an obsession: Mark Wild’s devotion to the classic heavy metal that shaped his youth. What began as a studio project soon evolved into a solid band within the underground circuit, with their debut (1714) quickly establishing their presence in the Spanish scene. With 1640, their second album, the band reaffirms its identity: a deeply ’80s-rooted heavy metal, driven by epic and historical themes, where Teutonic heritage and a combative pulse merge into a direct, no-frills approach—fully aware of its lineage.
Review
“Intro-1640” is a brief, functional piece, driven by a subdued guitar and acoustic arpeggios that ease us into an epic world of battles, decaying kingdoms, dethroned kings, and uprisings.
“Days of Doom” is built around a simple yet memorable riff, packed with thundering chromatic chords and single-string bursts that strongly recall early Running Wild. Héctor Llauradó’s voice mounts this charge like a rider, delivering sharp, sustained high notes that fracture the melody for added drama. Jordi Julió’s drumming is outstanding—relentless, tight, propelled by a firm pulse and sustained double bass. On lead guitar, Artur Julió strikes with confident solos, carving out melodic landscapes of notable skill. The band makes a clear statement from the outset: not a second is wasted.
“Rage of Conqueror” follows the same momentum, driven by a pounding snare and double-kick barrages typical of thrash and speed metal. Its musical architecture rests on thunderous chords, palm-muted sections, and choruses aimed squarely at conveying power. On bass, Philip Graves delivers a functional performance, no spotlight, but essential in adding weight to the rhythms and anchoring the drummer’s velocity, which unfolds with raw, frontal energy.
“Winds of Ash and Dust” keeps the pulse steady, opening with a well-executed high-pitched scream that sets the tone of drama and epic intent. The riffs rise and fall without losing speed or lift, the chorus reinforcing the intensity. While the song develops in a relatively linear fashion, the final third introduces rhythmic breaks before the solo, adding a twist that lifts it out of predictability.
“Lese Majesty” is shaped through sharp, high-end guitar lines, giving greater prominence to the rhythm section and bass. The drums step away from sustained speed, incorporating more breaks and shifts in time, with effective cymbal work, especially at the end of each verse, punctuating the melodic lines and supporting the mid-tempo backbone of the track. The march slows, but the epic scale remains intact.
If the album has largely operated within a speed metal framework, “Through Fire and Blood” introduces a compelling shift. Its sonic architecture leans closer to ’80s USPM—more akin to Jag Panzer or Manilla Road than Iron Maiden—featuring heavy chord-driven rhythms, slower but crushing drums, and solos sharper than a swordsman’s blade facing a firing squad. The interplay of fast, clean arpeggios within the power chords, combined with warlike choral passages, makes this one of the album’s standout tracks.
“Ready To Explode” returns to that Running Wild lineage, with fast riffs built on a solid rhythmic base and lead guitar lines that inject melodic force. The drums come back in full with double bass, interspersing well-crafted fills at the end of each verse. The solo section goes beyond scale-running, incorporating counterpoint passages that lend the song a refined elegance.
Opening with a drum lead, “By The Blood In Ours Veins” channels the spirit of Manilla Road or Cirith Ungol—heavy, slow marches that feel both crushing and lethal. There’s more groove here, with hard rock-inflected chord work and brief silences between full-throated choruses. The semi-galloping riffs beneath the high vocals create a cinematic sense of large-scale battles across blood-soaked fields. A great track, driven by a strong anthemic core, with Mark Wild’s rhythm guitar providing a steady hand through its shifting sections. Pay close attention to the solo—slow, malicious, and destructive: pure old-school rock and roll glory.
And then we arrive at “Marching to Victory.” A thirteen-minute closer. It opens with tolling bells and a spoken narration. The track acts as a synthesis of the entire album: fast sections, catchy choruses, and slower, hammering chord progressions all coexist, yet the impact never drops. The lead guitar plays a central role, crafting a martial, heroic melody, while the drums shift between rapid double-kick assaults and heavy mid-tempo strikes, always maintaining a commanding presence.
Conclusion
Whirlwind’s influences are direct and undisguised: the pirate-like rhythms of Running Wild, the double-kick drive of thrash and speed metal, soaring lead guitars over steel-solid rhythms, and echoes of classic heavy-en-español acts like Subterráneo, Destierro, Muro, or Obús. Their sound also draws heavily from German speed metal of the ’80s and the American USPM scene. This is both their greatest strength and their Achilles’ heel: they embrace their roots without hesitation, but rarely step beyond them, often sounding very close to their references. There is some linearity across the album, and the weight leans more on energy than on surprise. However, when they slow down or shift direction, especially in the more USPM, leaning tracks, the album gains depth and character. Whirlwind is a band of strong musicians with top-tier production, delivering exactly what they promise: a glorious heavy metal experience.
TheNwothm Score:8.5/10
Links
Bandcamp:
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/whirlwindheavymetal
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whirlwindheavymetal/
Label: https://dying-victims.de/
