Review Summary: The Devil Rages On.
There's no sugar coating this, Volbeat have been playing it safe for the best part of a decade.
Doubling down on the hyper melodic hooks found on their 2013 hit single 'Lola Montez', the Danish rockers had shed their rough whisky drenched skin in favour of a bright, catchy sound on subsequent releases. This shift in style culminated in their 2019 misfire 'Rewind, Replay, Rebound', a toothless showing which was all but devoid of their former metal edge.
Opener 'Last Day Under The Sun' demonstrated the band's focus on writing singalong numbers, complete with choral vocals and shimmering feel-good guitar riffs. Fans hoping for a return to a heavier sound were left with sappy 'Cloud 9', the bland 'When We Were Kids' and 'The Awakening of Bonnie Parker' rounding out a disappointing effort.
Enter 'Servant Of The Mind'.
From the opening stomp of 'Temple of Ekur', serving up layers of thick bass followed by chugging guitars, Volbeat proudly declare that they're back.
Trading in buttercups and rainbows for dark Egyptian imagery, the opener sets the stage for a heavier record. The hooks are still very much present, this time perfectly balanced with head banging aplomb. Featuring a bridge which fantastically showcases frontman Michael Paulson's Elvis-esque vocals, 'Temple of Ekur' is a frenetic and roaring start to the 4 piece's eighth studio album.
Third track 'The Sacred Stones' further spirals down the path of darkness, harkening back to 2010's 'Who We Are' in its atmospheric gloom. Ominous guitars build to a familiar but very welcome chug, capping off the track with a jam that finally bursts with a solid solo by (recently departed) Lead Guitarist Rob Caggiano.
Our first taste of this record came in the form of dual singles 'Wait A Minute My Girl' and 'Dagen Før', two songs that don't just stick out like sore thumbs, they feel like they genuinely should not have been included in this project. Both songs dropped in the summer of 2021 and could not have been a worse representation of the sound of this album.
The former sounds like a glossier 'Die To Live' from the previous album, complete with bombastic brass and a bubblegum-sweet key change for the final chorus, the latter sounding like a B-Side from their 'Seal The Deal' days.
Aside from those outliers, the rest of the record has a strong sense of identity with heaviness oozing out of cuts like third single 'Shotgun Blues'. This song was not just a great choice for a single, but a career highlight which holds up excellently within the context of the album. Paulson's vocals won't change your mind if you've not enjoyed them in the past, but this album boasts his strongest performance to date.
Sun drenched 'The Devil Rages On' channels surf rock through its descending guitars, conjuring up visions of an apocalyptic summer.
Michael's guttural roars rumbling under the outro add a final flourish to an already brilliant track, the haunting bridge builds immaculately and overall this is one of the best songs on 'Servant'.
Scorching fourth single 'Becoming' steps up the momentum near the end of the album, and features some surprisingly heavy riffing.
'Step Into Light' sees even more dark surfy vibes with ethereal moments, it's refreshing to hear Volbeat experimenting with new ideas at this point in their career.
Deeper cuts like the fun 'Heaven's Descent' and 'The Passenger' fly by with confidence and despite not being among the strongest tunes here, both offer at least a couple of memorable moments.
With the album weighing in at just over an hour, there is undeniably some fat here that could have been trimmed.
'Lasse's Birgitta' is the longest Volbeat track in their discography, but it does very little with its 7:56 running time and ultimately fizzles out. With no real musical twists or surprises, the song doesn't do enough to justify its lengthy runtime.
'Mindlock' and 'Say No More' borrow their riffs a smidge too heavily from Metallica's 'Wherever I May Roam' and 'Eye Of The Beholder' respectively, but the fact that Volbeat sound like Metallica again is not necessarily a bad thing, just not the freshest or most original sound out there.
The album is absolutely a return to form for Volbeat, sounding more akin to 'Beyond Hell/Above Heaven' and the better moments of 'Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies', the band sound ravenous and inspired once again.
It's worth a listen, especially if you've only heard 'Wait A Minute My Girl' and threw up in your mouth a bit.
Check: 'Temple of Ekur' 'Shotgun Blues' 'Becoming' 'The Devil Rages On' 'The Sacred Stones'.
