It’s only natural that we all have albums that slip through the cracks in any given year to the point that the back catalog of pieces we missed becomes damn near insurmountable. Of course, I am no exception to that simple reality with thousands of records flying past me even as I do my best to try and take in as much as I can both within and without these reviews. That’s where the concept of reissues can very much come in handy. Even though I tend not to review them for arbitrary reasons, some are just too good to pass up. Case and point: Wanderer’s debut album that would’ve eluded me for some time should Helldprod Records have not come to my rescue.

Common is it to see plenty come around throughout the various communities throughout the metal underground that make the claim that the original thread of heavy metal has well and truly left the earth with naught but a shell of its former glory to be had for us to scavenge, yet it’s with bands like Wanderer that I can’t help but feel as though such arguments are more than meaningless. What Wanderer has accomplished with their debut album is nothing short of excellence with their speed metal infusion to world-class heavy metal of the sort that many of us are constantly craving for yet rarely receive in the form of albums like “Awakening Force”. Still very much within the realm of what we would expect in this particular corner of metal, Wanderer delivers an electrifying blend of melodies across many different levels of tasteful speed to put together a performance that keeps you rooted in place, always looking forward to what comes next, and captivated from the very beginning. There so much personality and quality within these nine tracks to really put together a terrific visage of power and passion that only further elevates the quality of what “Awakening Force” dares to summon to show us that it was out of the very gate that Wanderer was not playing around. This is the kind of metal that should be considered mandatory for any fan of this particular vein for once Wanderer grabs ahold of your throat, there’s no chance of escape!

Four years have passed since Wanderer initially unleashed this creation upon the world, and time has surely not whittled its excellence for so much as a microsecond. One can only wonder what kind of advancements Wanderer has made in their sound in that time with anything and everything really possible, yet whatever it is that comes next has much to live up to should it even bear a shadow of the glory that’s thrown down within “Awakening Force”.

LISTEN to “Awakening Force” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Wanderer on Facebook here.