Band:	Maule
Album:	Maule
Style:	Heavy metal
Release date:	January 2022

01. Evil Eye
02. Ritual
03. Summoner
04. Maule
05. Red Sonja
06. Sword Woman
07. Father Time
08. March Of The Dead
09. We Ride

Do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior, Iron Maiden?

Heavy metal is probably the one subgenre I listen to the most on a yearly basis. Hell, it’s the subgenre that started it all for me (well that and industrial thanks to Rammstein). Bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio, … (basically the usual suspects) pulled me right into the world of metal music.

Problem is, though, a lot of stuff has already been done in this specific subgenre. It gets harder and harder to create your own “voice”. Does Maule manage to do that with their debut? No, not at all to be honest. This debut can best be described as “very influenced” by the Paul Di’anno era of Iron Maiden records. Decidedly heavy metal, but with a punky vibe to it.

You all know I like Iron Maiden so, I must automatically like this one as well, right? Well, if only it were that easy. Actually, it is that easy. I like this record. It didn’t wow me, but it was a very pleasant experience to listen to.

You get some nice and catchy riffs, with some strong rock ‘n roll style vocals. On top of that, there’s a strong pace throughout this whole album. It doesn’t feel at any point like the music is staying on the same spot for too long.

In terms of production, this very much feels like an album that is drenched in 80s style production. It’s overall well-balanced, and the production’s veneer works well for the style of music that’s being played here.

The lyrics won’t blow you away, but are overall solid and not overly cheesy. Again, a bit like many other heavy metal bands.

So what exactly is the main selling point, you might ask? Honestly, I think that lies entirely with the punky edge here. This balance between classic heavy metal and punk elements is something we don’t really see all that often. In fact, if I had heard a new record with this style in the last couple of years, I would have probably mentioned it in this review. Well, if the record was actually memorable enough, of course. This one is. Not because it’s the most original thing out there, but because it’s very well put together. These guys understand very well what makes those first 2 Iron Maiden albums work for so many people. And while for me, it doesn’t reach that high bar of quality (but then again, what does?), I’m still glad to see a very strong attempt at bringing back that feel and vibe.

That brings us unto the conclusion. And honestly, there isn’t that much to tell here. If you are interested in an album that brings back a bit of that early Iron Maiden feel, then you need to give this a spin. If not, then this will most likely be a fairly standard heavy metal album for you. Worth a listen for sure, but unlikely to blow you away.