Do you like traditional Heavy Metal with the cheese turned up to life threatening proportions? Then may I recommend Dream Evil. These Judas Priest loving Swedes were formed in 1999 by metal producer Fredrik Nordstrom, who has worked with Bring Me The Horizon, Architects and Opeth amongst others. New album Six, released on Century Media, is funnily enough their sixth album and continues their corny, solo-laden Heavy Metal.

Although you have heard bands of his ilk a thousand times before they still manage to yield some decent songs. ‘How To Start A War’ is a pacey number some great fretwork demonstrating Niklas Isfeldt’s operatic, Rob Halford-esque, vocal range. ‘Dream Evil’ is another highlight, with its thudding riff and huge gang-chanted chorus with just the right amount of Manowar-like cheese. ‘Antidote’ is one of the heaviest on the record, a headbanger with a pummeling Thrash Metal guitar attack and a short and sweet solo from Fredrik Nordstrom and Mark U Black respectively.

Unfortunately, too often it seems they get carried away with themselves, veering dangerously close to pastiche territory. The lyrical clichés soon mount up, with all the usual suspects present – motorbikes, sex, drugs and Rock n’ Roll with a liberal helping of the devil to finish. The otherwise catchy, Saxon-like ‘Too Loud’ is a hedonistic tale about a party that goes on for weeks, forcing the neighbours to phone the police. ‘44 Riders’ is about a motorbike gang and the camaraderie felt, complete with engine sound effects.

Satan himself gets summoned from his sulphurous pit in the equally cheesy Priesty‘Sin City’. It is difficult to tell whether they are being serious or are in on the joke, like a Trad Metal version of Steel Panther. Some catchy songs with great riffs and solos get overshadowed by the dangerously cheesy lyrics and the nagging sense of familiarity.

5.5/10

THOMAS THROWER