Band:	Enforcer
Album:	Nostalgia
Style:	Heavy metal, Speed metal
Release date:	May 2023

01. Armageddon:
02. Unshackle Me
03. Coming Alive
04. Heartbeats
05. Demon
06. Kiss Of Death
07. Nostalgia
08. No Tomorrow
09. At The End Of The Rainbow
10. Metal Supremacia
11. White Lights In The Usa
12. Keep The Flame Alive
13. When The Thunder Roars (Cross Fire)

Have you recently found yourself lost in the feeling of Nostalgia over '80s heavy metal? Well, you could dig out some bands of the past, or Enforce yourself to listen to some Nostalgia from 2023.

I think it's safe to say that the Swedish heavy metal band Enforcer have now established themselves as a true household name within the NWOTHM scene, probably more so than any other act over the past few decades. We've all heard the saying that “metal never dies”. Well, that's absolutely true, and it's because of bands like Enforcer. Formed back in 2005, and releasing their debut, Into The Night three years later, Enforcer then went on to release another four (mostly stellar albums) before this sixth release, Nostalgia. Now, how does this latest album stack up with the previous releases?

Nostalgia does just as the title suggests, it throws you straight back into the midst of the classic '80s hard rock and heavy metal era, something this band is certainly been renowned for. There are certainly plenty of hard rock influences here, from Def Leppard and Whitesnake to UFO and Scorpions, with the heaviness, speed, and energy of Motörhead and Saxon. The twin guitar presence is certainly a factor of this, with the traditionally melodic riffing style and the wonderfully striking leads. The vocals, provided by Olof Wikstrand, are also a throwback to the '80s era. His whole energy, mannerism, and style suits the music down to a tee.

Now, I can't deny this being a solid release overall. In general, everything works reasonably well; they have the sound and production spot on, and each musician show's a quality performance. However, this album doesn't quite match the former quality of their previous albums — in particular, their first two releases, Into The Night and Diamonds. There are several factors that I find just slightly bring the album down,
the first being the ballad-like songwriting, where the lyrics on some tracks seem a bit too much on the cheesy side (“Heartbeats” being a strong example). The heavier tracks feel like they wouldn't go amiss on Def Leppard's classic album High 'N' Dry, but I'm more inclined to say “Heartbeats” would more appropriately fit on their much softer, more mainstream sounding album Adrenalize.

The second factor that doesn't quite sit with me is the album's length. Maybe it's just me, but I do think thirteen tracks is a wee bit excessive here. This isn't 'epic' heavy metal so the tracks themselves aren't necessarily that long. But, with there being this number of tracks, it appears that one too many fillers have crept into play. However, those tracks I've suggested being fillers are far from poor quality. Average, possibly, but I wouldn't call them poor, and there's certainly a plentiful amount of replayable tracks featured that makes up for those few lost tracks. One of the main stand-out tracks the album provides is “At The End Of The Rainbow”. Now here's a track with perhaps the catchiest songwriting. Among the heaviest tracks, it also provides the most memorable riffs. Another track I find intrigues me is “Keep The Flame Alive”, a track that's certainly not ballad-like, with its lyrical content telling a dark, sinister tale of the grim reaper.

Overall, Nostalgia will definitely leave you feeling nostalgic. It contains decent riffs, but nothing that makes you jump out of your skin, or leaves you feeling breathless. The songwriting is far from clever; it's simplistic, and at times fun, despite its persistent cheesiness. If you want speedy traditional heavy metal, and don't mind a few ballads thrown in, then you could find yourself enjoying this album. But, on the other hand, this could leave you feeling like digging out your record collection for some original, classic '80s heavy metal.