Battle Beast's 'Steelbound' - Album Review

Based on much of its recent content, this blog is in danger of turning into a place of power metal worship. Over the past few months all I seem to have been doing is reviewing new power metal releases and going to see power metal bands live. This is about to change, although a review of a Sabaton concert will be coming in December, but, as I have said elsewhere recently, I have really been enjoying this latest big power metal splurge. Sometimes it is okay to listen to music that is just fun - and that is often what power metal is. Despite my rekindled love of the genre, I doubt that I will be going back to any of the overly gimmicky and novelty acts any time soon - but even the most crafted power metal is still often extremely fun. Recent Sonata Arctica and Battle Beast concerts were very much joyous occasions, then, and it is the latter whom are the focus of today's piece. The reason I recently saw Battle Beast live in Bristol was because the Finnish six-piece recently released their seventh studio album Steelbound - their first since 2022's Circus of Doom (which I reviewed here). It is the band's fourth album with their current line-up, meaning that it is also their fourth since former guitarist and principle songwriter Anton Kabanen left the band in 2015. As such, the current Battle Beast era has now eclipsed the original era in terms of releases - with the band likely viewing Steelbound as their fourth album as they have essentially left their first three albums behind. For me, too, Steelbound feels like the album where everything has truly come together for the current incarnation of the band. For my money, they roared out of the gate in 2017 with Bringer of Pain (which I reviewed here), which is a top quality power metal album, but somewhat struggled with their identity on the two follow-ups. 2019's No More Hollywood Endings (which I reviewed here) felt like a band at a crossroads. They had essentially carried on from the Kabanen-era sound, albeit somewhat smoother, with Bringer of Pain - but No More Hollywood Endings toned down the overall heaviness quite a bit and attempted to lead with a poppier, more AOR-tinged sound. Battle Beast have always had AOR-esque moments, but No More Hollywood Endings felt a little limp - although I saw the band on its subsequent tour where the songs sounded much chunkier. Circus of Doom moved things back in a heavier direction - but it never felt like a fully assured album despite it containing some strong songs. Three years on, though, and it seems that Battle Beast have decided on the sort of band that they want to be - and that is essentially the band that they always were, and relaunched themselves as on Bringer of Pain. That is, for clarity, a crunchy, riffy power metal band with strong 1980s influences - focused on the soaring and powerful vocals of frontwoman Noora Louhimo. It is interesting, too, that the songwriting of bassist Eero Sipilä dominates this new album. He wrote songs for the previous three albums, but was largely a secondary songwriter - with the Björkroth brothers dominating. They still wrote a few songs here, but Sipilä has the highest number of credits this time - and if his input has helped the band to refocus their sound somewhat then I am all for his increased involvement going forward. The result is that Steelbound is easily the band's best album since Bringer of Pain - and it may, in time, eclipse the 2017 effort.

Most of the songs here are extremely memorable, and I heard all but two of them at the recent concert. It is clear, then, that the band feel strongly that this a high-quality release - and it did not take many listens for these songs to really sink in. Funnily enough, the album's opening song, The Burning Within, was one of the two songs not played on the recent tour. Generally opening songs are played live, but for whatever reason the band decided against doing so - which is a bit strange given its overall power. The main opening riff and synth patterns, aside from the shredded guitar solo section, sound quite similar to Nightwish's Dark Chest of Wonders, though, which may have played a part - but intro aside the song does not share any other similarities with Battle Beast's fellow Finns. The snappy riff sounds quite dry, but it is quite energetic - and the verses feel hooky, with Louhimo singing in a somewhat gritty manner whilst synth stabs add additional interest. There is a decent amount of chug to these relatively mid-paced verses, then, whilst the chorus speeds things up - with more of a powerful vocal, some double bass drumming, and a bigger synth pattern. The chorus is easy on the ear, and is the first of many really hooky moments here - whilst a smooth guitar solo carries on the more melodic tones, focusing on melody over speed. Here We Are opens with some summery synths, whilst a sweet guitar lead slowly fades in - and the sugary sound harks back somewhat to the softer side of No More Hollywood Endings. Despite the similarities, though, this song feels weightier. It helps that there is a bit of a disco groove added to the band's usual AOR flirtations - which is extremely evident during the verses. Drummer Pyry Vikki adds a metallic grounding behind some synthesised beats, whilst the keyboard playing of Janne Björkroth is very present - creating the main melodies. Driving basslines and Louhimo's smooth vocals bring the song to life, whilst the guitars feel a little more restrained. They do add some weight to the background, and do break into riff at times, but this is a much more beat-driven song - with no big guitar solo. The disco edge elevates the song from the sometimes limp sounds which were on No More Hollywood Endings - and the hooks overall feel stronger, too. The album's title track follows. With a name like Steelbound, I would have expected a fast-paced power metal anthem - but instead the track is one which channels some AOR-esque tendencies. The later chorus is tougher and much more power metal in nature, especially given the shredded guitar motif which heralds its arrival, but the verses feature piano melodies throughout, Louhimo's relatively smooth delivery, and some shuffling, groovy guitar riffs. The mix of styles works well, and these expansive verses really add a cinematic edge to the album. The harder-hitting chorus remains welcome, though, with expressive synth stabs and some grittier vocals. A lengthy guitar solo section adds a lot, too, with some smooth, legato runs alongside some shredding - before a strange bridge section sees some almost nu-metal tough-guy vocals from the whole band. This mix of sounds shows that the band are feeling confident at the moment - and the variety is welcome.

Moving to a much more cinematic and dramatic sound, Twilight Cabaret mines a somewhat vaudeville vibe - whilst Janne's keyboard playing drives everything. It builds on the groovy and expansive sound of songs like Russian Roulette but arguably adds a somewhat more progressive edge thanks to the complexity of some of the keyboard melodies and the interplay between Janne's old-school piano playing, the strings, and the shuffling guitar riffs. Like Here We Are, there are also some disco-esque elements here. Synth-driven beats fill the song, the regular drumming appropriately weighty, whilst the bass playing of Sipilä adds a funky edge. Despite all of this bombast, the song still feels tough. The guitars throughout add weight, whilst the chorus is a real mid-paced power metal winner with some powerful vocal melodies and plenty of pleasing melodrama. There is even a percussive break which includes what sounds like a mix of African and steel drums - which adds another twist to the track. Returning to something a bit more traditional in terms of power metal, Last Goodbye is a much more guitar-driven piece. Despite some synths opening things up - once the chugging riffs of Joona Björkroth and Juuso Soinio kick in the song feels heavier. Janne's synths generally sit more in the background this time. They do pop in at appropriate moments, but the programmed grooves and piano flourishes of the previous handful of songs are absent this time - with verses instead driven by heavier guitars and plenty of furious drum fills from Vikki. It is nice to hear the band let their hair down a bit here and present something much more metallic. It is still a very hooky song, with a smooth chorus which does see the keyboards kick back in for effect, but it shows that they do not need all of the tricks to craft a hooky song - and sometimes a faster-paced power metal track which sticks quite rigidly to a well-worn script is sufficient. The Long Road, which is a mid-album instrumental, follows. The band used it as their intro tape live - and then played a more band-orientated version of it as part of the encore. It is very much a symphonic piece, with stirring string arrangements and distant percussion - which gets louder and more dramatic as it moves on. It does act nicely as a mid-album break - although, given that this is a short album, one was not really needed. It does feel like quite an epic intro for Blood of Heroes which follows, though, which could well be my favourite song on the album. Blood of Heroes is the most Sabaton-esque song not written by Sabaton - and the epic, mid-paced power metal anthem ups the heaviness and drama quite considerably. The first verse is quite slow-burning, but elsewhere the guitar riffing and synth overtones feel huge - and there is certainly plenty of crunch here which reminds me of Sabaton. Louhimo is one of the most powerful singers in metal when she really goes for it - and this song sees her kicking things to the next level. She sounds great during the verses, but it is the chorus which sees her at her best - where she pushes herself to the limit with some gritty, screamed moments and plenty of character. A folky instrumental section later injects a bit of Thin Lizzy thanks to some big guitar and flute melodies - whilst the guitar solo which follows is also very melodic.

From the heaviest track to the most AOR-inspired, Angel of Midnight feels like another song which perfects the sound that the band were trying on No More Hollywood Endings. There are huge melodies here, alongside some choice synth flourishes and timeless harmonies, but the AOR vibes are boosted by a weightier overall presentation. The guitars still feel quite present despite the synths dominating - and the production throughout the song just feels bigger and more spacious than the flatter sound of No More Hollywood Endings. Again, too, minor disco elements are included to add some extra juice - whilst the guitar solo is right out of the 1980s thanks to the flashy shredded melodies utilised throughout. I am glad that the band managed to get this sound to work properly on this album - and the mix of it with some excellent power metal tracks is a big reason why this seventh release is such a winner. The album's penultimate number is Riders of the Storm, the only other song apart from the opening cut that was not played live on the tour. It is another mix of big power metal and disco - with the former winning out overall. There is plenty of riffing during the song's intro, whilst the pre-chorus and chorus sections are weighty thanks to the band's guitar presence. Parts of the verses are very synth-heavy, though. The bass playing is quite funky again, which creates a strong groove, whilst synth melodies and occasional guitar leads fill the song. One of the busiest guitar solos is also included, before a fun bridge section which essentially features the chorus melodies played on the piano. It is a decent chorus, but is a sea of really strong choruses perhaps it does feel a little weak. The song is probably my least favourite here, aside from the short instrumental piece, for that reason - as it is, overall, the least interesting of the proper songs on the album. The album then comes to a close with Watch the Sky Fall, a heavier piece which returns to a much more guitar-driven sound. The opening riff and shredded guitar motifs are high-octane and hark back to the band's heavier days - although the verses are once again somewhat stripped back to allow for pulsing basslines, synth flourishes, and some of the album's punchiest drumming to shine through. There is enough big guitar riffing elsewhere, though, to ensure that the song remains pretty weighty - and there are short lead breaks throughout, showcasing that this was one of the tracks here written by Joona. This is later expanded on with a lengthy guitar solo section which is easily the longest and most high-octane of the album. This is very much a song for guitarists, then, but it helps that there is another massive chorus here which worms its way in. The song was not a favourite at first, but it has grown on me quite a bit - and it ends the album with a bang thanks to this last big chorus and the greater focus on guitar firepower. As I mentioned earlier in this piece, I feel that Steelbound is easily the band's best album since Bringer of Pain. It is a melodic, confident, and upbeat album that really solidifies the core Battle Beast sound and could really be by no-one else. It may not be as heavy overall as some would like, but there remains plenty of weight and riffing here - whilst the choruses are some of the best and easiest on the ear of this year's power metal efforts. It is great to see the band sounding so vital - and I hope that this trend continues going forward.

The album was released on 17th October 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Twilight Cabaret.