Intense – The Shape of Rage

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For various reasons, not least of which time, Intense tend to take quite a while to release new albums, usually between three and four years, the seven-year gap between self-published debut EP Dark Season and label debut Second Sight notwithstanding. The Shape of Rage comes four years after well-received sophomore effort As Our Army Grows and again the Iron Maiden worship is at times painfully obvious, right down to the contrasting guitar tones when Dave Peak and Nick Palmer alternate solos. After about four songs though they stop being quite so obvious about it and start getting harder and heavier. As with all Intense albums so far the playing is absolutely first class and when they settle into a style a little more their own and not quite so much Maiden’s, they come over a top-drawer power metal band. There are still elements of others’ sounds in there, particularly recent Saxon and some of the thrash bands who exhibit traditional/power leanings, like Helstar and Vicious Rumours, but Sean Hetherington’s unique voice counteracts that provided they’re not doing the Maiden thing. Next time out, a little more like Save Me From Myself and Haunted, and a little less like Abubis and they’ll have cracked it.

Written by Andy Lye
More: 2011, Albums, Power Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, Intense