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AMBUSH
Evil In All Dimensions

Napalm (2025)
Rating: 7/10

Swedish leather-clad mob Ambush formed in 2013 and two albums followed quickly in the form of Firestorm (2014) and Desecrator (2015). With this brace it seemed as if the band was on the track to stardom, being part of a heavy metal formation – including Enforcer – that looked set to take on the world. It sort of happened, although I found myself drowning in a sea of pretenders and wannabes at the time.

By the time Ambush released their third album, Infidel, in 2020, the novelty had worn off. Even so, Ambush remained a reliable band, their marrying of traditional and power metal an ever enduring spectacle. With this fourth full-length offering the mob continues to nod towards the nostalgic heights of 80s heavy metal, bringing the expected familiar warmth of Iron Maiden, Scorpions et al with a borderline speed metal dynamic fuelled by Judas Priest.

The earliest signs suggesting a new album was on the way emerged with the title track several months ago. Admittedly, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the song, and even with its galloping axe work and strong clear vocals I couldn’t help but detect an unintentional parody, a cheesy topping summed up by its accompanying video. However, Ambush remained defiant, soldiering on with their army of fans in tow and some very good songs.

The key to the bands popularity is certainly the twin guitar assault of Olof Engqvist and Karl Dotzek. They litter this album with glistening duels of steel, swashbuckling speed and traditional metal fury which gallop and sprint in equal measure. Vocalist Oskar Jakobsson has always had that crystal clear strain that reminds me of Helloween’s Michael Kiske, driving his army on through the badlands under the cloak of darkness.

There’s no denying the potency of Ambush as they scorch through a batch of fiery journeys with joyful gallops and razor riffage that’s happy to honour the likes of Accept. ‘The Night I Took Your Life’ is a standout cut, galloping on a tumble of hard drums and showcasing Jakobsson’s versatility. ‘Iron Sign’ is of similar tempo so it’s nice to hear a song like ‘The Reaper’ which slows the groove and brings a darker edge.

It can’t be easy for a lot of bands to display variety within the traditional metal framework, songs tend to either drift or, more commonly, gallop. It often becomes predictable, and yes, that can be the case with Ambush, but then again their melodies are still crafted well enough to hold your attention. Another song which I was drawn to after the first few listens was ‘Come Angel Of The Night’ with its Judas Priest-esque charge, but having said that, everything on offer here is tight and tidy even if a bit formulaic.

After a five year gap, Ambush bite once again, although the teeth marks don’t necessarily leave a lasting impression.

Neil Arnold

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