Welcome to another Metal Debate album review. This time we take on Battle Beast’s new banger – No More Hollywood Endings.
This is the band’s fifth full-length album, and their second release since the exodus of co-founder Anton Kabanen, Clocking in at over 53 minutes, the album gives thirteen tracks that largely keep it simple, solid and enjoyable. That’s not to label the newest album a regurgitation of past efforts, just that Battle Beast have continued to evolve with this release while remaining true to the what has worked for them in the past. As hinted at by the title – No More Hollywood Endings – the band flirts with heavy metal film score on this one as they take their classic power metal sound into more of an overtly cinematic direction.
Battle Beast kick off the proceedings with “Unbroken” - a classic up-tempo power metal track with a pleasantly punchy groove. Frontwoman Noora Louhimo keeps her singing fairly clean here, and the guitars have a pleasing crunch. The title track and first single released, “No More Hollywood Endings”, has Noora evincing a bit more of her trademark vocal rasp, and showing more of her complete range. A mid-paced arena-rock anthem, the track is catchy, but without bringing too much saccarhine to the mix. The many hints of 80s nostalgia are sufficiently counterbalanced to give the album a modern metal feel.
The songwriting overall is strong on this album, and there are number of outstanding tracks to highlight across the record. “Hero” begins with a sexy synth intro, seguing into a classic power metal scream that unveils a solid track with memorable hooks, vibrant riffs, and a killer verse. “The Golden Horde” is an epic-sounding melodic ripper with pleasing speedy guitar riffs. “World On Fire” is one of my favorite tracks – Battle Beast doing what they do best – distilling European power metal with a distinctly fun-loving, 80s flavor. One that will find you banging your head and pumping your fist! “Eden” delivers a great ear-friendly sound and beautiful vocal melody. Again, throughout the keyboard elements create more of a cinematic metal than symphonic experience for the listener.
A few tracks were a bit harder to hold my attention – I found “Endless Summer” sleepy and lacking the potency of most other songs, and the rock-tastic album-closer “My Last Dream” seemed an oddly dissonant note to finish on. I am sure some will find the production for this album a bit too polished and AOR-friendly, and I would have preferred the drums a little crisper in the mix. But these are all minor quibbles. I definitely recommend this album, especially to rank-and-file fans of catchy power metal who will find themselves drawn inexorably to the big screen flash. Battle Beast executes this musical vision successfully, and sans the over-the-top cheese displayed by their metal rivals, Beast In Black.
In the end, Battle Beast manage to create a big, fun album, that I can’t get enough of. They know both their strengths and limits, providing a strong offering that won’t often surprise but definitely pleases.
No More Hollywood Endings is distributed by Nuclear Blast Record