Volbeat render it an unapologetic AOR anthem with slick, sheeny '80s production, a cruising tempo, and an irrepressible pop melody perfectly melding Bramsen's and Poulsen's voices. "Dagen Før" features a guest vocal from Stine Bramsen of Danish pop heroes Alphabeat. The band know how to throw curve balls, too. Contrast this tune with the brutal chug and burn of "Say No More," with its proggy stop-and-start bridge, double-timed drumming, and assaultive guitars. In typical Volbeat fashion, however, the chorus delivers an infectious lyric hook without sacrificing the heaviness. The charging drum kit and distorted bassline add ballast and textural dimension. The guitars charge at one another with 1980s thrash metal abandon, forcing Poulsen to climb above them. "Shotgun Blues" is darker, edgier, and more ferocious.
What emerges is a dynamic update of Heaven and Hell's approach transformed through Volbeat's musicality. Poulsen deliberately channels Ronnie James Dio in his singing.
"The Sacred Stones" commences with a massive Black Sabbath-like dual guitar riff from Poulsen and Rob Caggiano, underscored by Jon Larsen's thudding tom-toms and kick drums and Kaspar Boye Larsen's filthy bassline. The chugging guitar riff, driving tempo, and Poulsen's crystal clean, hooky vocals combine to make it a stadium anthem. With its roiling drumkit and bass intro, opener "Temple of Ekur" is as epic and excessive as its title. Written in three months, it was recorded in three weeks. Again produced and mixed by longtime collaborator Jacob Hansen, Servant of the Mind is arguably the darkest, loudest, and heaviest album in their catalog -as well as their most accessible. while glossing up their sonic approach (a tad) and re-emphasizing the theatrical potential in guitarist/vocalist Michael Poulsen's songs.
Eighth album Servant of the Mind continues their M.O. After two decades, seven previous studio albums, multi-platinum sales, and sold-out concerts across the globe, Denmark's roots Volbeat have remained stubbornly consistent in wielding massive, power and thrash metal riffs, passionate rockabilly swagger, and punk rock attitude.
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