Inner Axis – Midnight Forces

Inner Axis
Midnight Forces
Label: Fastball Music
Out: March 22^nd, 2024
Paying time: 52:23

The North of Germany rocks. And Heavy Metal doesn’t just come from Hamburg. Inner Axis hail from Kiel, the capital of the northernmost federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Founded in 2008. Although that’s not quite true, the band was active under the name Midgard from 1999 to 2008. Three demos were released under this name. After the renaming, two albums were released in 2011 and 2017. The successor “Midnight Forces” did not follow until 2024. This album had previously been pre-announced with five single releases. The consistency of the line-up is astonishing. The list of former members on Encyclopaedia Metallum is very short. The most recent addition is guitarist Nino Helfrich (2020).

“I Am The Storm” – what a Metal blast at the beginning. The Northern Lights immediately take us into the world of Classic Heavy Metal. The guitar duo Drosos/Helfrich fire off a veritable storm of riffs. They are driven by drummer Thies Jacobsen. I’ve already read different things about Kai Hagemann’s voice. It’s certainly a matter of taste. At least I like it. Even with “Strike Of The Cobra”, the musicians don’t give the listener a moment’s respite. And “Midnight Hunter” is the highlight up to this point. Especially thanks to the booming Double Bass and a great but never embarrassing sing-along chorus. A perfect introduction. Horns can be heard at the beginning of “This Is The Way”. The song offers a first breather. Very rhythmic, but also powerful. “Evil Dead” then tends towards speed metal. The drums really push forward. But the Progressive edge that emerges thanks to the rhythm changes doesn’t seem to fit at all. Opinions certainly differ here. From my point of view, this is a somewhat weaker song, but by no means a total failure. But you are rewarded with the combative “Spartan War-Cry”, which is reminiscent of Manowar. And then comes the Power Metal anthem “Steelbladed Avenger”. And this one is really true! “Master & Commander” is a fast and at the same time heavy song, but the melodies are not neglected either. And with a catchy chorus. But the crowning glory of the whole thing is the insane guitar solo. And the high tempo is also maintained on “Burn With Me”. The drummer drives his men to maximum performance once again. At the very end, things get epic at last. The anthem “Blade of Glory” is a worthy conclusion to the album.

With “Midnight Forces”, fans of handmade Classic Heavy Metal will get their money’s worth. Even though Inner Axis are probably overshadowed by other great Metal bands from northern Germany (Helloween, Gamma Ray, Running Wild, Iron Savior, …), they have managed to produce a fine album.

Track list:

• I Am The Storm
• Strike Of The Cobra
• Midnight Hunter (2023 Master)
• This Is The Way
• Evil Dead
• Spartan War-Cry
• Steelbladed Avenger (2023 Master) 
• Master & Commander
• Burn With Me
• Blade Of Glory