Turbo are a metal band from Poland who have been around since the early 80's, and listening to their recent release Identity you can certainly tell that they cut their teeth on the NWOBHM scene as well as the Bay Area thrash years. Releasing nearly ten albums over the course of their career (with some of the coolest albums covers ever!), the band have gone through some dry spells, but certainly sound reinvigorated on Identity. Think Iron Maiden meets Accept or Saxon, with a dash of thrash thrown in, and you have a good idea of where Turbo are coming from. So if you are expecting something along the lines of Vader, Behemoth, or Decapitated (three of Polands greatest metal bands), forget it, as this is 80's styled classic metal, complete with crunchy riffs, blinding, tasty guitar solos, and commanding vocals.
The guitar work of Wojciech Hoffmann and Dominik Jokiel is superb throughout this album, as they toss out bone crunching riffs and virtuoso melodic solos on tracks like "Man and God", "Legend of Thor" (a kick ass anthem if there ever was one) and the stunning "Maqmra". The vocals of Grzegorz Kupczyk are quite strong, although he sings with a hefty Polish accent, that leads me to question his command of the English language, but he does have a great style. When he's not trying to force things, he's most successful, as on the Judas Priest/Thin Lizzy styled "Paranoia", a more straightforward piece with some memorable twin guitar leads. Other highlights include the complex and thrashy "Eneida", the melodic and layered rocker "Scroll" (complete with a great drum performance from Tomek Krzyzaniak), and the doomy stomp of "Opened Doors of the City".
Identity is an enjoyable metal platter that will appeal to metal fans who cherish everything that is "old school". Who says the veterans can't rock with the youngsters?
Track Listing
1. Legend of Thor
2. Maqmra
3. Man and the God
4. Paranoia
5. Eneida [Instrumental]
6. Hermitage
7. Scroll
8. Opened Doors of the City
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