I’m not ashamed to admit that I love the poppy glam metal of the 1980’s. It was a great era for heavy metal, and the rebirth of the genre in the 2000’s was welcome, indeed, and bands like THE POODLES, WIG WAM, and CRASHDIET put out some instant classics. DYNAZTY also started out as a glam metal band and had a great throwback sound for their first three records, before taking a hard right straight into power metal with the release of Renatus in 2014, an album that made a lot of Top Ten lists that year.
Fast forward two years to the present, and the release of DYNAZTY’S fifth studio album, Titanic Mass (April 15 on Spinefarm Records), and it’s clear that the band didn’t miss a single step in their progression. I had the opportunity to talk with them in 2015, and they described the new album as a logical step forward from the last disc, retaining their signature sound and working in some progressive elements, and they certainly fulfilled that promise!
There’s not a weak song on the entire release, and if you enjoyed Renatus, you’re going to love Titanic Mass. It’s that good. The twin guitar attack of Love Magnusson and Mikael Lavér remains a thing of beauty, whether trading leads or riffing at high speeds. Jonathan Olsson’s bass work is solid, and George Egg is one of the most talented and unconventional power metal drummers – instead of double bass pedals, he uses a gong bass drum in his kit along with a single bass drum, yet manages to play fast, hard, and consistently in every song and live performance.
Rounding out the band is Nils Molin on vocals, and he really puts the exclamation point on this album. His singing is amazing – he’s got every single trope of both power and glam metal down and uses them all to make his parts of every track shine and leap out of the speakers. Nils is fast becoming one of my favorite singers of all time and I could listen to him 24 hours a day.
The songs on Titanic Mass are all great – its not just Renatus, Disc Two. There’s a real step forward from the straight ahead glam-inflected power that destroyed everyone two years ago. Songs like “Untamer of Your Soul”, “Titanic Mass”, “Keys to Paradise”, and “The Beast Inside” really show off the newer, more complex side of the band, while “I Want To Live Forever” and “The Smoking Gun” reveal the softer side of the band. It just all works and fits together really nicely into one awesome package.
I really can’t say enough about this album – I’ve been listening to it non-stop for two months, only grudgingly turning it off to listen to new releases for promised reviews. If you enjoy solid power metal, get this. If you enjoyed any of their previous discs, get this. If you just want to headbang and have a great time listening to a bunch of amazing songs, get this.
STANDOUT TRACKS: ALL OF THEM!
RATING: 10/10
-FRANK ZABER
