Forty years have passed since HEAVY LOAD put out their last album ‘Stronger than Evil’ (1983). Now, at last, on October 6th, Heavy Load will release their long-awaited comeback album titled ”Riders of the Ancient Storm”.
HEAVY LOAD is a legend in Swedish metal history starting operations in the mid-70s, and it’s a generally held belief that they were the band that started the Swedish wave of heavy metal.
Formed by the brothers Ragne and Styrbjörn Wahlquist the band performed the first concert in 1976, first album release in 1978. Before long, the brothers started their own studio. As time went by, many famous bands would come to record in the brothers’ Thunderload Studio.
Among those were Candlemass with Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, which was produced by Ragne and came to create a new sub-genre “Doom Metal”. Examples of other famous bands who worked with the Wahlquist brothers in their studio are Hammerfall, Morbid, Electric Boys, and Yngwie Malmsteen.
Heavy Load’s comeback album reflects their well-known sound and songwriting; this is classic metal with twin guitar attack. Ragne’s (68 years-old) vocals are intact, and all the traditional ’70s / ’80s metal fantasy is all over this LP.
”Riders of the Ancient Storm” was recorded, of course, at their Thunderload Studio which still uses analog equipment, open tape recorders, vintage mixing console… so expect that classic early Eighties sound here. The real string quartet heard in one song was actually recorded 1987…
1. Ride the Night
2. We Rock the World
3. Walhalla Warriors
4. Angel Dark
5. Slave No More
6. Raven Is Calling
7. Sail Away
8. Butterfly Whispering (CD bonus track)
Ragne Wahlquist: Vocals, Lead Guitar and Keyboards
Styrbjörn Wahlquist: Vocals and Drums
Torbjörn Ragnesjö: Bass Guitar
Niclas Sunnerberg: Guitar and Backing Vocals
Heavy Load – Riders of the Ancient Storm 2023, MP3+FLAC
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