Album Review: Battle Beast - Steelbound

Sometimes, a band only needs one selling point to establish and maintain a career. There's so much music out there that everyone needs something that sets them apart, and there are times it isn't their songs. Gimmicks can catch people's attention, and personalities can hold it, but often it just comes down to one massive talent that give us hope the music will live up to that. 

In the case of Battle Beast, that talent has always been the voice of Noora Louhimo. Her voice is a massive force of nature, a gritty roar that rises to the absolute top of the mountain of power metal singers. The comparison between Battle Beast and Beast In Black makes this even more apparent, as does her performance on a song such as "Hurricane Love" from her Laurenne/Louhimo side-project. Noora is flat-out amazing.

Otherwise, Battle Beast is one of those bands like Powerwolf who deliver solid albums that are fun to listen to, but struggle to leave much of an impact. I really enjoyed "Circus Of Doom", but is there anything at all different about "Steelbound"? No, there isn't. You could play the records back-to-back and not know when one ended and the next began. The band has a very narrow perception of what their sound is, and they play within it the whole time.

At only thirty-seven minutes long, including a two-minute interlude, the band is delivering to us a compact burst of melodic metal that hits the same spot again and again. It's good, but how many times can you get a love smack in the same place before it starts to hurt in a way that isn't so enjoyable?

That is to say, the only issue with "Steelbound" is that I'm struggling to tell you why you need to listen to this album if you already know and love one of their earlier records. This one is good in the same way, and will scratch the exact same itch. If you find yourself in that mood, "Steelbound" is going to be perfect. I've certainly enjoyed my time with it. The band is professional, and gives Noora a solid platform to do what she does best. They deliver crunchy metal songs that have high-energy melodies that gets your fist pumping.

That comparison to Powerwolf works on two levels. Yes, they both make the same album again and again, but they also focus on their high-octane numbers to give us metal upon metal. They both have the talent and the voice to do more, and especially to lean into more dramatic fare, but they know what the audience wants. Not too many metal fans are like me, and love what power ballads can bring to the equation even more than the heartiest metallic attack.

Metal fans are going to find a lot to enjoy in "Steelbound". I did as well. Don't let my reticence hold you back.