Since adopting their current moniker in 2008, it’s been full steam ahead for German heavy metal crew Inner Axis. Hailing from Kiel in the north of the country, this band have attracted a lot of praise with their first two albums, positioning them as one of the regions biggest prospects. With the release of their third long player, Midnight Forces, Inner Axis look set to become 2024’s breakout band and take on the world.
A swirling tempest with which to announce their arrival, ‘I Am The Storm’ is a strong opener that comes replete with soaring guitars and thunderous drums. Like dark clouds appearing on the horizon, ‘I Am The Storm’ proves itself very prophetic and sets the tone for the next 50 minutes. While Inner Axis are certainly no retro act, there is, nevertheless, something refreshingly old school about their sound and this is a foot-on-the-monitor, horns-held-high celebration of heavy metal, and it’s hard not to get swept up in the band’s sheer effervescence. There’s a life-affirming quality to Midnight Forces which is fairly irresistible and that primarily radiates from vocalist Kai Hagemann who has a definite power metal style and his voice rides the band’s raging sound like a ship atop a stormy sea.
Inner Axis cite Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Manowar as influences, and unites those three bands is a cinematic quality and that’s precisely what Midnight Forces brings to the fore. Drawing inspiration from film and TV, each of these songs is like a mini movie and will plant strong images inside your cranium; the eastern flourishes which herald ‘Strike Of The Cobra’ bring to mind Cobra Kai, ‘This Is The Way’ references Bounty Hunter, and ‘Evil Dead’ should be pretty self-explanatory. There’s always been an overlap between metal and film, so it feels quite natural that Inner Axis should move into this territory, but don’t expect carbon copies of the originals; their inspirations are merely used as a springboard to something new, and I’m pleased to report that Inner Axis sound like no one but themselves.
Heavy metal, more than any other genre, has the ability to transport the listener to another dimension and the majestic title-track creates a distinct sense of time and place. It’s a rain-soaked, neon-lit metropolis and one that places the listener centre stage; a lonely hunter stalking prey in a midnight cityscape. The sheer range of influences means that no two songs sound the same, or inhabit a similar sonic space, yet no matter how much Inner Axis twist and turn and shape shift, the album is threaded together by the band’s raucous brand of heavy metal. There’s plenty of gnarly guitar solos and neat drum patterns to hold your attention throughout, ensuring things never become staid.
A song of many suites, the epic ‘Blade Of Glory’ is almost progressive in its structure brings the album to a fitting finale, and one that suggests Inner Axis are going to be around for quite awhile.
- Midnight Forces is released via Fastball Music on 22nd March 2024.
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Track List:
- I Am The Storm
- Strike Of The Cobra
- Midnight Hunter
- This Is The Way
- Evil Dead
- Spartan War-Cry
- Steelbladed Avenger
- Master & Commander
- Burn With Me
- Blade Of Glory
