Release Date: 28th February 2026

Label:independent

Neuronspoiler is a key name within the London heavy metal scene. They keep the flame of the genre alive through a discography of four studio albums and one EP. The band achieved high production standards in the past. They worked with figures like Flemming Rasmussen and Charlie Bauerfeind. Now the group returns with a newly mixed and mastered album. Their history includes extensive tours across the UK and Europe. They shared the stage with historic vocalists like Ripper Owens and Jeff Scott Soto. They also supported NWOBHM legends like Diamond Head and Grim Reaper. This new release invites an analysis of their musical evolution over the last decade.

Crazy Love is built around its catchy chorus, and despite being a very well-structured song, it is only one colour in the palette of a band that integrates diverse concepts from rock and metal into its proposal, without sounding absurd or like a musical Frankenstein. With interludes similar to those crafted by Scorpions in the 80s, and even recalling heavy bands with glam and hard rock touches such as Lizzy Borden, it serves as an excellent opener that prepares us for a nostalgic journey, rich in nuance and supported by first-rate musical production.

Witness is a song that strikes hard from the outset, transitioning into sections with synthesisers and emotive vocal phrasing, accompanied by distinctly eighties-crafted power chords, alongside effective and direct percussion work, with simple, well-marked time signatures. The song carries that mystery-film or thriller aura, where the hero or heroine prepares for the final battle. The lead guitar work draws from that same nostalgia, with solos steeped in technique, featuring fast scales and long sustained notes.

Spoils of War shifts the format toward a more intense approach. It begins with semi-galloping riffs adorned with excellent melodic embellishments, giving way to a section where only the voice, bass, and drums remain, a prelude to a succession of chords that restore the initial force, with epic, well-intoned choruses in the tradition of what is known as happy power metal. It is an anthemic song, with soaring high-pitched vocals well supported by two guitars that take command with outstanding string work. The song is simple at its core, yet conceals numerous changes and subtle melodic secrets, especially in those clean sections with subdued guitars.

Crimson Tale conveys an epic aura similar to the previous track, though centered on mid-tempo pacing and riffs built upon fifth chords and twin guitars, showcasing a stylistic versatility that brings them closer to the progressive sensibility of early Queensrÿche, or to less orthodox heavy acts such as Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol, or even the Dutch band Picture during the Warhorse era, demonstrating that the heavy metal register can assume multiple layers and tonal dimensions.

Barren Soil is the power ballad that creates a significant break in the album’s first arc, or the end of side A. However, it is not a saccharine track, but one filled with multiple fractures, oscillating between introspective passages and accelerated moments marked by excellent drum control. The percussion alternates between basic patterns and more elaborate speeds, introducing fills, accents, and rhythmic variations, culminating in an outstanding double-bass finale, carefully measured and deployed to emphasise aggression.

Ascend to Death is one of the longest songs on the record, not recommended as an entry point, but essential for attentive listening on a second or third pass. Melodic passages intertwine with local, emotive, and dramatic vocal phrasing, featuring piercing and virtuosic high notes. The guitars establish a grandiose rhythmic foundation, alternating power chords with extended melodic lines driven by double bass drumming, always used as a deliberate device to reinforce the sense of “power” transmitted by the piece.

Following the overwhelming intensity of the previous track, Hundred Years opens with well-defined bass lines and clean guitars, paired with a softer, clearer vocal delivery. The percussion aligns closely with the melody, generating tension in the clean passages and forceful rolls in the choruses—pure eighties tradition, akin to other hard rock acts of the era. The composition is more straightforward, dominated by brief arpeggios; however, JR’s vocal power unfolds in full, ranging from whispers to high, perfectly tuned notes enriched with excellent vibrato, embracing the band’s most theatrical dimension and firmly establishing his authority within the lineup.

Did someone say rock and roll? New Thing is built precisely on that axis, with a striking and danceable rhythm, and excellent string interplay that oscillates between brief harmonics and rising and falling chord progressions like a roller coaster. The twin-guitar solo section is simply sublime, with the bass at the center anchoring the rhythm while the drums contribute calculated strikes. It departs from the epic accent of the album’s midsection and instead reconnects with the vibrancy conveyed by Crazy Love and Witness.

Self Afflicted unfolds with considerable weight, featuring abundant palm-muted sections and excellent percussive interplay, with a strong rhythmic pulse that intensifies during its more dramatic passages. The bass lines reinforce the rhythmic foundation, granting it additional distorted heft. The vocalist explores new registers here, sharper in aggressive sections and more restrained in dominant phrasing, even venturing into rougher, slightly distorted tones. It strongly recalls the Tim “Ripper” Owens era of Judas Priest, with piercing, rapid solos and more punishing rhythmic structures. A standout track.

Let The Sun pairs naturally with the previous song due to its heavy, mid-tempo development, with greater emphasis on percussion and palm-muted sections. In its final stretch, the band indulges in creating an interlude built on twin-guitar leads, arpeggios, and deep bass lines, culminating in a melancholic closing that leaves the bar set high.

Conclusion

The return of Neuronspoiler is not merely another addition to their catalog, but the confirmation that the band has reached an enviable level of compositional maturity. What makes this album stand out in today’s saturated heavy metal landscape is its ability to manage a coherent eclecticism. Unlike other acts that lose themselves in imitation or in senseless amalgamation, the Londoners have crafted an album that functions as a catalog of the genre’s history: from the vibrant energy of 80s hard rock and the echoes of Scorpions, to the technical and shadowed density of cult bands such as Manilla Road or Judas Priest during the Ripper Owens era.

TheNwothm Score: 9.5/10

Links

Bandcamp:https://neuronspoiler.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Neuronspoiler
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/neuronspoiler