The album “Thunderblood Heart“ by MÄRVEL is still fresh in my ears, even though it has been out for a good two years. The release from the Swedes was an incredibly awesome record, blending hard rock, pig rock, and garage. It rocked, it was fun, and it simply pleased.
Now MÄRVEL has followed up with their third full-length album, “Warhawks of War“.
The CD features twelve songs that rock out in the typical manner of the Swedes. The first half dozen songs are also enjoyable. It’s this mix of hard rock, combined with guitar-heavy rock’n’roll, well-placed vocal parts, and a hint of garage that defines the band’s sound and continually captivates. This is also due to the band’s really good knack for melodies and catchiness. The songs remain fun even after multiple listens, and you find yourself enthusiastically playing air guitar. It could very well be the soundtrack for the next championships in this sport (or is it not a sport?).
With song number six, “The Effort“, a turning point is initiated on the record. The song is extremely Kiss-influenced and should appeal to any fan of Paul Stanley and Co. It sounds so much like Kiss that I would think it’s a cover. I hope it’s not, because if it is, I’m exposed. The next song, “Beaten Path“, strikes the same chord. Overall, these two songs stylistically stand out from the first five tracks on the CD. They are songs that fit MÄRVEL and showcase their musical diversity, but somehow lack the same flow.
The subsequent songs then stylistically return more to the first five songs. So it initially sounds like just two outliers; however, the last five songs do not match the quality of the first five tracks on the album. That is precisely the problem; even after multiple listens, I wonder if the band is trapped in some kind of endless loop, or if the producer simply left the studio without telling the band, and they are just continuing to play. It’s a drawn-out conclusion to a record that starts off very well and is enjoyable.
Overall, a mini-album would have been better.
