Out and out heavy fucking metal. No bullshit, no fuckin’ around just heads down Hard rockin’ noise in the tradition of heavyweights Motorhead and early Sabbath. But and that’s a big but this is the creation of a pair of punks.  Released early summer this seven-track slab of vinyl is an absolute blast.  From The opener ‘Crackdown’ to the final distorted fade out of ‘Dragdown’, this is something of a throwback and the best old school heavy metal, hard-rockin’ record you’ll hear in a while.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Satanic Overlords album that breathed new life into a tired and on its knees genre of music and like London busses as soon as one arrives another isn’t far behind and thankfully Charger don’t so much as open the door and walk through they blow it clean off the hinges. I guess having their “day Jobs” in other bands its a chance for them to just do something for pure enjoyment without too much pressure for it to be something to make ends meet and the fact they set it all up to have fun and enjoy the songs it shines through in the record that they love turning things up and just making an absolute racket because they love it and nothing else like I said no bullshit and nobody to please except themselves.

Like a Charger ‘Crackdown’ is a muscle car with plenty of punch don’t get in the way or you’ll get mowed down its got the hammer down on the drums and that Freeman bass rattle is a killer combination. sure its got plenty of Motorhead happening but it’s just picked up the torch and is traveling at speed with it. the playing as you can imagine is exceptional you can raise the horns kids as this is how to play heavy metal.

Its not about playing a varied assault on the genre remember it started as some fun between mates but I suspect once the music took hold they were breathing fire and wearing spandex with their gauntlets and denim cut-offs.  ‘Victim’ rattles along with some great interplay between bass and the guitar as they reach the chorus.  unlike a lot of their peers in this genre this trio don’t let any tune overstay its welcome and as soon as Freeman has finished his bass workout on ‘Damage’ and the Sabbath wave washes over us all the albums longest song clocks in at a progressive sub four minutes.

Pedal to the metal for ‘All Kings Must Die’ that get turned up a notch or two as we ‘Pray For Light’ as we head into the home straight theres still time for some fist-pumping as ‘Fall Out’ is like a tribute to Neat records wrapped up a West Coast minute. It’s almost a pity that Sounds magazine isn’t still with us to report on this one but a top tune all the same.

To finish I did wonder if there would be a little bit of Maiden happening and ‘Dragdown’ is it.  With a tip of the hat to DiAnno era Maiden Charger know what to do and with a familiar gallop it’s like Burr, Stratton and DiAnno have found their spiritual brother in 2019.

What a refreshing take on a tired genre Charger is a blast, a kick up the backside, twenty minutes of unbridled fun so strap on the bullet belts and let’s get ready to Rock!

Buy Charger Here

Author: Dom Daley