To look at the cover of “Avenger” is to step back in time; a hot rod car that looks a bit like Knight Rider, it takes me back to the mid-1980s, when those TV shows, Stoke City FC, and bands like Bon Jovi were my whole world.
Granted, I am writing this sitting on a coach outside a football stadium about to watch Stoke City stink the place out again, so my life hasn’t exactly moved on, but equally it’s gratifying that as long as bands like Wildness exist, then music hasn’t either.
Formed over a decade ago, they reckon that this is the album that finally encapsulates all they stand for, and while I’ll grant you that bands always say this about their albums, they’ve absolutely nailed it.
Hell, even the titles explain it. “Wings Of Fire,” anyone? Slashing riffs. Check. Melodic verse. Check. Likewise, anthemic chorus. Just because you know what it’s going to do doesn’t lessen the fun.
So get your fists in the air and enjoy songs like “Crucified”—that’s what they’re for.
And it is formulaic, anyway. I’d convinced myself that “Broken Heart” was going to be a ballad. It’s not. Like it’s saying that she might have left him, but music exists, so who cares?
The feel of this is perfect. “Caught Up In A Moment” and its harmonies would be enough to get FM fans dancing in the aisles; “Wasted Time” isn’t a Skid Row cover, but it does have a riff that you just know Pontus Sköld enjoyed playing.
The title track is appreciably heavier and has a bit of an early metal feel—at least until the chorus hits—and if no song called “Poison Ivy” will ever be as good as the one Faster Pussycat did, then the one here ensures the quality doesn’t dip.
And it really is noticeable that the quality here remains remarkably consistent. “I’ll Be Over You”—the one that is a power ballad—is a decent example of the form, but personal taste will always dictate that songs like “Stand Your Ground” will always be more exciting. Drummer Erik Modin (who is also the main songwriter here) appears to be thoroughly enjoying himself, and the exultant screams of singer Erik Forsberg would indicate likewise.
The band aren’t shy of their influences, and even they’d say they aren’t breaking new ground with work like “Eye Of The Storm,” but as the superbly grandiose “Walk Through The Fire” ends, I’ll stick to a refrain I’ve used many times: originality is the most overrated quality in music.
Far better to be good, and as sure as the idiots who predict the demise of hard rock are wrong, then “Avenger” is magnificent.
Rating 9/10
REVIEW: WILDNESS – AVENGER (2025)
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