Lancer was actually somewhat of a surprise as their second album, Second Storm, came on a streaming queue while I was doing other things. It was not until halfway through the album that I realized what was playing. Holy shit, what is this sound. Holy shit, look at that cover. Holy shit, is this a Swedish band flying at the speed of light, below any known radar detection, all of this time?

It is true, Lancer has existed for a couple of years and has been making decent records to the notice of only a few. This is suprising as their sound is an almost textbook example of highly dynamic power metal, with each member supporting the weight of the sound. By the opening of “Behind the Walls,” Lancer steps out with machine guns and mows down any opposition with delicate accuracy.

Lancer makes little effort to hide their influences on Second Storm. If you do not hear Helloween in both voice and instrumentation, then you are not hearing the right album. Despite their leaning on past styles, the fact that this band can have a distinct personality in both sound and image is impeccable. One of the more hilarious discoveries was the band’s photo, in which singer Isak Stenvall clutches the same bird that appeared on the album’s cover. Lancer could be the first power metal band I know of that proudly incorporates avian members into their image. It is so absurd I can see it working.

Tags: Hollywood Metal, Kaptain Carbon, LANCER, Second Storm
Categorised in: Metal