Beast In Black: From Hell With Love (Nuclear Blast, 2019)

THE DISCO METAL REVOLUTION HAS BEGUN! Yeah, yeah, you can call Beast In Black a power metal band if you want, but that’s pure pop catchiness running all throughout their latest album From Hell With Love. And it’s glorious. The band’s debut album Berserker was the surprise hit of 2017, and its follow-up is just as irresistible.

The Finnish band was formed by guitarist Anton Kabanen when he left Battle Beast, and Beast In Black still has a lot in common with that band. They’re both infusing ultra-poppy keyboards and candy-sweet melodies into the traditional power metal format, and they’re both doing it extremely well. They also both have female vocalists. OK, not really, but vocalist Yannis Papadopoulos can hit some ridiculous highs and could probably pull off some convincing Anette Olzon-era Nightwish covers. Metal and pop being adversaries is almost cliché at this point, but damn they go well together here.

From Hell With Love is one ultra-catchy pop metal anthem after another, starting with “Cry Out For A Hero,” which is equal parts Freedom Call and ’80s soundtrack anthem. “Sweet True Lies” is the album’s first single, and it’s unapologetically a pop song. Like Backstreet Boys/Britney Spears 1999 pop, but heavy enough that you only hate yourself a little bit for singing along. Speaking of singing along, the chorus of “Die By The Blade” will stay with you for days. So freaking catchy. “Repentless” is almost a Children of Bodom song, and “This Is War” and “Heart of Steel” pack a killer one-two punch.

From Hell With Love is the most addictive album 2019 has to offer so far, and it’s a lock for the Best of 2019 list. It’s utterly catchy, cheesy and completely fun. It’s an absolute must-have for fans of the debut as well as fans of Battle Beast, Freedom Call and Dynazty.

Edition Notes: The European pressing of From Hell With Love comes in a digipack and includes a pair of cover songs as bonus tracks. Beast In Black’s version of the Motorhead staple “Killed By Death” is enjoyable, if basic, but their version of Robert Tepper’s soundtrack anthem “No Easy Way Out” is well worth the import price.