As much as the media aggressively pushes genres like rap and grime, constantly telling us that rock n’ roll is dead, hard rock and metal refuses to throw in the towel. The secret to the genre’s longevity can be found in band’s such as Asomvel, a quartet who’ve faced their fair share of adversity but have rolled on with a never-say-die attitude. Having stolen the show at this year’s Stonedead festival (reviewed here), the band follow up in the best possible way, namely with a brand new album packed with tunes that are bombastic and bounce around like a bag full of mad frogs. Set Your World On Fire is an aptly-titled affair, featuring a dozen tracks that are sure to set your speakers aflame.
Formed in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, in 1993, Asomvel didn’t release their debut EP until 2007, with subsequent albums and singles released in piecemeal fashion. However, in the last few years the band have been operating with a renewed sense of vim and vigour, and testament to their newfound energy is opening track ‘King Of The World’. It feels as if the band are making up for lost time and as such there’s no fancy introductions or elongated preambles, Asomvel getting straight down to business with a skull crushing riff and an unstoppable rhythm section that bursts from the speakers like a runaway locomotive. It’s 140-seconds of unashamedly heavy metal and sets the tone for the coming twelve tracks; with very little space between the tracks a sense of dynamism is created with ‘Lone Wolf’ following hot on its heels and seguing nicely into the title-track. The result is akin to a white-knuckle, white water ride as the band toss the listener around like a canoe in rapids. However, the band are far from one-trick-ponies; ‘World At War’ takes its foot of the pedal (slightly), yet there’s no discernible drop in power, Asomvel mixing up tempos to ensure that Set Your World On Fire flows like an old school album.
Some reviewers have drawn similarities between Asomvel and Motörhead (as if that’s a bad thing) and while there are parallels to be drawn (the gravelly vocals, the bass rumble, the downright dirty rock n’ roll sound), it is more homage than nefarious copycatting. Yet any comparisons are unfair; that Motörhead sound is so ingrained in metal’s DNA that any band formed after 1980 can’t help but have a few strands of Lemmy &Co. in their genetic make up. Asomvel are simply more honest than most and are happy to wear their influences on their collective sleeve…and that’s something for which we should all be grateful.
It is with the incendiary ‘Light ‘Em Up’ that Asomvel depart leaving behind an album that is guaranteed to Set Your World On Fire.
- Set Your World On Fire is released on 1st October 2026 (available here).
- Asomvel Official Website
Track List:
- King Of the World
- Lone Wold
- Set Your World On Fire
- Back From The Dead (It’s Your Funeral)
- World At War
- Blood Runs Cold
- Eye Of The Storm
- Your Worst Nightmare
- Into The Fire
- If It’s Too Loud, You’re Too Old
- Take You To Hell
- Light ‘Em Up
