By: Cruel Force

Date: March 27, 2026

Format used: Digital

Rating: 2/5

Readers who have read my last review will know my opinion on the tendency to make imaginary EPs to justify playing the algorithm. But honestly, if Cruel Force picked the right songs, the EP would have been better than this album. Does that sound harsh? Let me explain.

So called “New Wav of Traditional Heavy Metal” bands have an unfortunate tendency to play derivative music. Not always, but the tendency is there. And of course it is, while NWOBHM was innovation that arguably saved the floundering and ill-defined Metal microgenre, NWOTHM are the younger imitators of “Old School Metal”. Orcus may upset some people with this, but creative, competent bands like Grand Magus should not be listed on the Wikipedia article for NWOTHM because they predate the proper dating for the movement, and play a sound closer to Doom than “True” traditional heavy metal would be. Orcus the Vile likes creativity and has been put off by the generic high speed arpeggios and glorified picking exercises of the neo-speed Metal bands of old.

Cruel Force however, I like. I enjoyed their debut Rise of Satanic Might. So why, in the deeps of the seven hells is there even more generic neo-speed plodding here than on Dawn of the Axe? When a band departs from an old style, it is normal for there to be hiccups. After all, an artist needs to refine their craft. But somehow, this album is repetitive, formulaic, and mixed like the BP Oil spill (that was long ago you say? Sorry, after a few centuries, a few decades feel trifling). The bass is barely audible, and even the keyboards that is rightly reserved for ornamentation are more audible. It’s not all bad though, there are about four stand out tracks on this album that in some way break the formula or set themselves apart. Two of these songs, warlords and savage gods, were on the EP single already. If you include the other two (Sword of Iron, and Titan’s awakening) on the EP instead, you would save the listener’s time (because unfortunately, this album does drag), and focus on quality over quantity.

Excluding the intro, we have heard half of this album already. And while this music is exciting has some mindless beats you can mosh and headbang to, it lacks substance. And let me address anybody who defends this album as an underrated gem, because I have seen the fans of Cruel Force around: the head banging is fun, but when is the next time this album will be your first choice to listen to for pleasure unrelated to the activity that accompanies it? And when will it be your second choice? Now when what are the odds you will listen to it again in its entirety when not in a playlist or a comp?

Honesty hurts, and with that let me give some more positives. Aside from being decent party music, the lyrics have more ambition than they have any right being. A lot of it actually hits home. I will be shouting some of these songs in the shower if the mood strikes me. And as long as something sticks, I say embrace it.

This album is for the party crowd and for the people who ride or die by the new wave of traditional heavy metal. It’s an ambitious release, and if you can be bothered to listen for 42 minutes and just want some blazing riffs to unwind to, this album will be for you.