MINDLESS SINNER is a 5-piece, classic heavy metal outfit from Sweden, and they are bringing waves of catchy riffs and choruses in their newest album Poltergeist. This is their follow up to their 2015 comeback album The New Messiah.
Poltergeist is a time capsule filled with leather, Vikings, stock explosion audio clips, dual guitars, and just a hint of cheese that made the speed/power metal of the ’80s so much fun, and so memorable. The voice work by Christer Göransson is definitely the highlight of the album for me. His voice reminds me of a mix between Bruce Dickinson and a young Michael Sweet, a great balance between power and clarity.
The choruses on this album are huge and extremely memorable (especially on ‘Poltergeist’, ‘Heavy Metal Mayhem’, ‘The Road To Nowhere’, and ‘Altar Of The King’). Musicwise, the album is very straight forward with galloping versing, soaring choruses, and solos that will have you reminisce about the first IRON MAIDEN or HELLOWEEN album you received. You get a couple missteps with tracks like the slow moving ‘Valkyrie’ and somewhat grating ‘Roll The Dice’, but this album is a fun nostalgia trip that could make a long road trip feel a little bit shorter.
Overall, Poltergeist is a fun, heavy metal ride that you don’t have to put too much thought or effort into to enjoy it. I recommend a listen or two, and you’ll probably end up replaying a few tracks, just for how much of an earworm they can be at times.
Review By: Robert Atkinson
MINDLESS SINNER
Poltergeist
Pure Steel Records
4.5 / 6