It wasn’t too long ago that excellent heavy metal wasn’t coming out as nearly often as it is today. Now, we’re practically spoiled with the releases that are constantly coming out in such high quality at such a consistent rate, and I’ve been waiting for the return of Valkyrie for years now as it was their last album that caught my attention very much upon its release. Five years later, they’ve done it again with “Fear” delivering everything I could’ve asked for.

An over-reliance on riffage from one song to the next is something that tends to be the case more often than not when it comes to many works that try to hearken back to the golden years of heavy metal, and it takes quite an exceptional act to grow past that in order to create something that stands proud without wavering one bit. Especially if it’s got riffs! That’s exactly what we’re treated to here with “Fear” as Valkyrie really dug deep in order to create an album that’s just as potent as it is intriguing from that very first note that instantly reels the listener in within just the first few seconds. It’s with the remainder of the album that we’re truly spoiled to a menagerie of classic excellence in the modern day where nostalgia seems to rule over all and, if it’s done right, heavy metal washes over communities like a tsunami that has no equal. If that doesn’t happen with “Fear” then I’ll be incredibly disappointed in many of you. Valkyrie hit all the right notes at all the right moments to make this a fantastic record from beginning to end with plenty of twists and turns, surprises made and expectations met, and eight tracks that do no less than further the glory of the name of Valkyrie that simply doesn’t get enough credit. There have been throngs of noteworthy acts out there that have gotten their due recognition from Eternal Champion to Visigoth to Haunt, but it should be “Fear” that finally puts the name of Valkyrie in the mouth of the communities with only excitement and intrigue to follow from uttering the name.

This was a name I’ve been looking forward to for some time, like I said, but I honestly wondered how Valkyrie would do this time around, but, clearly, but doubts were needless as it’s with just a few songs off this album that they’ve made something not to be looked down upon by any means whatsoever. When it comes to heavy metal done right, there are so many different options that you could go with and “Fear” should absolutely be among them.

“Fear” releases on July 24th via Relapse Records!

PRE-ORDER “Fear” via multiple sources here.

LISTEN to singles from “Fear” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Valkyrie on Facebook here.