Sweden continues to crank out some stellar retro inspired music, this time it comes in the form of the latest release from Stockholm act Black Trip, titled Shadowline. Ever wonder what it would sound like if Thin Lizzy had a late night jam session with the Paul DiAnno led version of Iron Maiden? Well, look no further, as Peter Stjärnvind (Lead & Rhythm Guitars), Johan Bergebäck (Bass), Joseph Tholl (Vocals), Sebastian Ramstedt (Lead & Rhythm Guitars), and Jonas Wikstrand (Drums) have concocted 11 songs that truly do represent what that historic event might have sounded like.
There's a raw, primal energy throughout Shadowline, as the hard rock, heavy metal, and punk influences of the NWOBHM era are soaked into each of these tunes, powered by high octane twin guitar madness and strong, hook laden vocals. To say that Tholl sounds like the perfect marriage of Phil Lynott & Paul DiAnno is a severe understatement, and both Stjärnvind & Ramstedt conjure up images of those great guitar teams, Scott Gorham & Brian Robertson and Dave Murray & Adrian Smith. Tunes like "Danger", "Berlin Model 32", "Over the Worldly Walls", and the galloping title track spew out an endless supply of tasty dual guitar harmonies, crunchy riffs, catchy rhythms, and anthemic choruses. "Clockworks" is grand, majestic classic sounding metal, and could have been a long lost track from Maiden's Killers album, while "Sceneries" is a crisp, memorable hard rock that would fit proudly on any classic era Thin Lizzy album. The one song that deviates from this formula is the moody, atmospheric "The Storm", a powerful amalgam of massive, layered riffing, pounding drums, and Tholl's mix of screams and tortured wailings.
So, while you might say that Black Trip aren't really doing anything new here on Shadowline, if you love vintage hard rock, metal, and especially the early days of the NWOBHM, chances are you are going to get a lot of mileage out of their brand new SPV release. This writer certainly will, so excuse me now while I go indulge in it yet again...
Track Listing
01 Die With Me
02 Danger
03 Shadowline
04 Berlin Model 32
05 Over The Worldly Walls
06 Clockworks
07 Rooms
08 Subvisual Sleep
09 Sceneries
10 The Storm
11 Coming Home
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