Beast in Black's 'From Hell with Love' - Album Review

Despite only forming in 2015, Finland's Beast in Black are already real rising stars in the metal world. The five-piece power metal act hit big with their debut album Berserker in 2017, but with many seeing Beast in Black as guitarist and songwriter Anton Kabanen continuing the legacy he forged on the first three Battle Beast albums this is not really surprising. In truth Beast in Black never had to start from the bottom like many new bands do, with Kabanen's fanbase automatically aligning themselves with Beast in Black after his acrimonious departure from Battle Beast in 2015. Despite being a Battle Beast fan in 2017, and in fact I reviewed their album of that year Bringer of Pain on this blog (which you can view here), I never got around to checking out Berserker until last year. Sometimes there is just too much new music to consume, and you need a bit of a push in a certain direction to properly give something a chance. I had that push about a year ago when I caught Beast in Black supporting Rhapsody in London. While I would not say that I was blown away, Beast in Black were certainly one of the better support bands that I had seen in around that time. Not too long after the gig I finally got around to picking up Berserker, and enjoyed it a lot. It was almost indistinguishable from those first three Battle Beast albums, with that band's heavy power metal mixed with 1980s melodic/pop rock tropes sound still entirely intact. Considering Kabanen is solely credited for writing every single song on those three albums - as well as on Berserker - the similarity is inevitable. 'More of the same', providing the 'same' is good, is not a bad thing however - and Kabanen's new band is more than up to the task of translating his vision into something tangible. Fast forward two years from Berserker's release, and Kabanen is back with Beast in Black's second album From Hell with Love - and again, nothing much has changed. Kabanen has clearly found his niche and is sticking to it, and those of us who are suckers for this kind of cheesy power metal are certainly happier for it! Style wise, From Hell with Love is exactly what a fan of Kabanen's previous work would expect - but with the 1980s AOR influences more in-your-face than ever. There are still plenty of ripping Painkiller-era Judas Priest-esque speed metal anthems here too, but the band's poppy side is certainly given more space. The same band that Kabanen assembled for Berserker returns on the band's second outing too, with the exception of drummer Sami Hänninen who was replaced last year by Atte Palokangas (Agonizer; Before the Dawn; Among the Prey; Thunderstone). Apart from this line-up change, this new album is certainly business as usual for Kabanen, and is one that I am sure will further cement his reputation as a songwriter and producer.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given how Berserker got underway, From Hell with Love kicks off furiously with Cry Out for a Hero. Although initially not quite as fast as you might expect, the song is a high-energy piece that showcases everything that makes Beast in Black great. The highly melodic guitar/keyboard combination during the song's intro lays down the formula for the album's sound, before a crunching verse gets underway featuring the high, rasping vocals of Yannis Papadopoulos. Papadopoulos is an extremely versatile singer, and uses his range to great effect throughout the album. This song mostly sees him singing in a tougher style to compliment the crunchier guitar tones, but this does not stop the chorus from truly soaring. Better choruses surface throughout the album, but Cry Out for a Hero certainly does well melodically from the off. The mid-paced rock of the album's title track follows, and showcases a slightly lighter sound with prominent 1980s-esque synths and a pulsing verse that allows Máté Molnár's bass playing to dominate. He is often buried in the mix, but this song showcases his playing a little more, and this adds to the slightly discoy vibe the song has. The keyboards, all played and programmed by Kabanen, also dominate - with the guitars often just providing simple rhythmic backings. Despite this, Kabanen still finds space to lay down a short, shredded guitar solo which then leads into a flashy instrumental section including both guitar and synth leads, with the two often interweaving for a gloriously cheesy sound. It sounds like an old video game soundtrack played by a modern heavy metal, and it is probably the highlight of the song for me - despite a fun, dancy chorus. The album's lead single, Sweet True Lies, is one of my favourite tracks here - and it certainly focuses more on strong vocal melodies with Papadopoulos toning things down a little to sing in a more melodic register, with the rest of the band adding some catchy gang vocals during the verses to add a little grit. This song is a love letter to 1980s melodic rock and AOR, and the sound has been given a modern metal sheen that works very well. The chorus is just ridiculously catchy too, and while it is certainly lighter than much of the band's work so far - it is packed full of killer melodies. I have consumed a lot of AOR over the years, so songs like this just really hit the spot for me. Even the over-the-top shredded guitar solo really fits the mood perfectly, and the key change at the end is the icing on the cake. This is the sort of song that death and black metal fans will secretly find themselves enjoying, to their shame, at metal festivals this summer - you heard it hear first! Repentless ups the pace and reminds me a little of self-titled track from the band's debut with an almost-thrashy rhythm and Papadopoulos' opening high-pitched scream. The keyboards are more prominent however which helps the song to fit into this album's overall sound, but this takes nothing away from the heaviness. Palokangas drives the song with his furious double bass drumming, and the pace certainly reminds the listener that they indeed have a metal album playing despite the sugary single that preceded it!

Die By the Blade is another of the album's singles, and sounds like something that could have graced the soundtrack of a 1980s action film. Think Survivor but heavier and you probably will not be far off! The pulsing keyboard intro is right out of that time period, and the synths never go away, with the guitars mostly just providing a tough backing. Papadopoulos, known for his incredible vocal range, uses his more low-key - almost effeminate - tones during the verses, before building up towards an explosive chorus that sees him unleash his full power. It is one of the album's best choruses, and is certainly worthy of appearing on a big budget soundtrack of the past. It is so catchy, and continues to swirl around my head long after the song has finished. 'Other' guitarist Kasperi Heikkinen provides a suitable melodic guitar solo, and this helps to flesh out what is already an excellent song. Oceandeep is the album's ballad, and opens with a subtle flute melody before acoustic guitars and keyboards take over to allow Papadopoulos to croon his breathy, high-pitched vocals atop. Musically, this reminds me a little of mid-period Nightwish. The floatiness and whimsical nature of the piece certainly reminds me of some of their older ballads, and Papadopoulos' performance is certainly not a million miles away either. At times you almost have to remind yourself that you are listening to a man singing, he is that versatile, and that is a big part of what makes this song enjoyable. Both guitarists are given a chance to solo too, which helps to add some emotional pull to the calmer sections, before the song ramps up towards the end for a couple of heavier reprises of the chorus. This works really well, and helps to move the album back towards to heavier territory for the next song. Unlimited Sin is heavier than the previous song, and opens with a big keyboard-backed riff that sounds extremely grand before moving into a slightly more restrained verse that again allows Molnár's bass to take the lead. This mid-paced brand of power metal seems to be the sort of the music that Beast in Black wish to make going forward, and this song is a strong example. The chorus is simple, but pretty anthemic and is one that is sure to go down well when played live. The faster, heavier songs are great, but I feel this is the sort of music that Kabanen really enjoys writing. It allows him to play with his synths a lot more, and there are lots of layers of keyboards here that really help to make the song sound a lot more interesting. True Believer is similar, and opens with some excellent synth work, before a big power chord riff kicks in that allows the synths to shine even more. Many of the songs on this album see the synth melodies really take the lead, which is a real treat for fans of melodic 1980s rock like me. Lots of things about this song feel like a real throwback too, from the gated tomtom sounds that give the drums that old-school feel, to the layers of melodic harmony vocals during the sugary chorus. It is is not as catchy as many of the other songs here, but it is still an enjoyable piece that ticks many of the right boxes.

This is War is a heavier, more guitar driven piece that features an interesting guitar riff and a tougher overall vocal delivery. The synths are still there but they're pushed more into the background, which allows things to sound much meatier. There are still plenty of melodic moments here however, with a strong chorus and a fluid guitar solo from Kabanen. There is something about this song that reminds me of Sabaton. I think it is the tough mid-paced riffing and the gang vocal end to the chorus which reminds me of the Swedish metal giants - and I like those comparisons. My favourite part of the song however is the last reprise of the chorus which features a fairly ludicrous key change that brings the 1980s elements back to the fore. It is very memorable, and the song is a great late-album highlight. Heart of Steel is the album's penultimate song and is a little sparser at times with a pulsing, bass-led verse that is always full of lots of sparkling synth melodies. As with all the songs here however, things really ramp up for the chorus. The guitars bring the heaviness and Papadopoulos sings in his tougher register, which is a contrast to his gentler verse delivery. This mix of light and shade is certainly a bit of a theme throughout the album, and again is part of the direction I see the band developing further going forward. I do not think that the chorus here is as catchy as many of the others on the album however, so it does not feel as ultimately satisfying as much of the rest of the material on display here. Heikkinen contributes a great guitar solo to the song however, and it showcases his talents perfectly. He is a little overshadowed by Kabanen in Beast in Black, so it is great when he gets to show off a little. The album comes to a close with No Surrender which sounds like a classic Beast in Black song with a pace slightly faster than what you would call mid-pace, pulsing synths, and a strident riff from the two guitarists. This sounds a little more the overall heavier sound that filled Berserker, so fans who have found some of the material on this album a little light should enjoy this song. It never really lets up, and crunchy rhythm follows crunchy rhythm for a tough piece to close the album out on. Papadopoulos unleashes some of his really high-pitched screams throughout the song too, and both guitarists also get a chance to solo. This feels like a deliberate choice to allow everyone to really show off once more before the album comes to a close, and is certainly a song that sums up the band's sound nicely. Catchier songs exist elsewhere, but this is quintessential Beast in Black and a worthy album closer. Overall, From Hell with Love is a strong second album from a band which seems to be moving towards the direction that they really want to be travelling in. The 1980s-esque tropes that are all over this album are clearly the direction Kabanen wants to take his songwriting, so I feel we will see much more of this going forward and much less of the fast, heavier songs that he wrote earlier in his career.

The album was released on 8th February 2019 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Sweet True Lies.