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Evoke The Blaze

    
       
       
       
     
             
Ratbreed are a heavy metal band from Finland formed in 2015, releasing their debut album 'Evoke The Blaze' in 2018.    
             
Traditional and classic sounding heavy metal with a huge "foot on the monitor" feel is what Ratbreed have just unleashed to the world. For a little over forty minutes, Ratbreed deliver fast paced, infectious and head bangingly addictive heavy metal. Opener 'Escape From The Asylum' is lightning quick and sets the pace for what is to follow. Urgent and with a sense of purpose, 'Escape From The Asylum' is a blend of the heavy and speed metal genres. Influenced heavily by the NWOBHM, Ratbreed continue the blistering pace with 'Hunting High, Reaping Low'. Galloping at high speed, 'Hunting High, Reaping Low' is catchy and has an anthemic sing a long style chorus. An explosive opening double salvo becomes more fiery with the furiously fast 'Decay Of The Mind'. Pulsating like a racing heart beat, 'Decay Of The Mind' romps along at pace, slowing down across the chorus break, injecting a massive amount of melodicness and sounding like mid eighties Lee Aaron...    
             
A scorching pace sets the album alight as 'Blaze From Below' flies off at high velocity. Vigorous head banging will ensue, with mosh pits becoming a frenzied blur as fans mosh manically to a thunderously heavy aural assault. Thank goodness there are no speed limits to heavy metal eh! With a heavier feel, 'Gates Of Underworld' keeps the thunderous rampage rocking along. If it's subtlety you're looking for, you're looking in the wrong place. 'Evoke The Blaze' is an album of pace, power and speed, with every song designed to head bang to. 'Unhallowed Sleep' brings to the fore the heavy metal sound of the early eighties when bands such as Raven and Angel Witch were shaping the NWOBHM genre. Mid to high tempo, a heavy lumbering rhythm, and just a little hint of the blues, 'Unhallowed Sleep' is a majestic march of (dare I say it) retro style heavy metal. There, I said it!    
             
'Mad World' remains in the sound of the eighties, yet picking up pace and running fast. Ratbreed have managed to deliver fast paced songs with a "slow down" across the choruses, every one sing a long able and anthemic. A heavy foot stomping rhythm greets the listener as 'Through The Flames' thunders into life, and is actually the slowest offering on the album. The riffs are mighty and owe a small debt to the hard rock genre. After eight of the nine songs on offer, are Ratbreed "running out of steam"? Not bloody likely, as at midway 'Through The Flames' turns up the heat and proceeds to thunder along at a fast pace. The album is brought to a close with a cover song, 'I Rule The Ruins' by German metallers Warlock (from their 1987 album 'Triumph And Agony'). This version is a little quicker, a little heavier, and is actually quite a good cover.    
             
Overall, forty minutes of blistering heavy metal, blending NWOBHM with speed metal, generating furiously fast paced and head bangingly addictive songs.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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