Still flying the rather tatty flag for traditional heavy metal, still head-scratchingly without a label, and still probably not actually setting anyone’s world on fire…Yorkshire’s Asomvel return with their fifth album ‘Set Your World On Fire’, and the follow up to 2024’s ‘Born To Rock ‘n’ Roll’.
It was 2019’s ‘World Shaker’ when the band first came to my attention, as frontman/bassist Ralph Robinson channelled his inner Lemmy (as well as, clearly, his outer Lemmy) and the straight-talking, no shit rock ‘n’ roll heaviness leapt out of the speakers. This is the sort of stuff that you just cannot criticise. It is timeless (when it is delivered well) and it’s influential prowess is abundant.
Asomvel obviously sound like our great forefathers in Motorhead – founding member Lenny Robinson has been making sure of that since 1993 – yet in an era with bands like Devastator, Midnight and Nunslaughter pushing those boundaries, they still manage to come across as current and, most importantly , welcome. Tracks like ‘Lone Wolf’ and ‘Back from the Dead (It’s Your Funeral)’ are out-and-out bangers that will have fists punching ceilings across the land.
This isn’t all plain sailing – moments like the slightly hunched over ballad that is ‘World At War’ break the tempo a little and maybe serve less of a purpose. However, no sooner are you reaching for a rusty zippo, tracks such as ‘Into The Fire’ and the Airborne homage ‘If It’s Too Loud, You’re Too Old’ make the speakers glow and all is dripping with whiskey once again. Asomvel can, at times, sound like The Almighty when they were literally in the pocket (see the video of Ricky and co playing the ‘Giants of Rock’ festival in Finland in 1991…it’s on YouTube somewhere) ..and that is a massive compliment.
Going back to my opening comment that ‘Set Your World On Fire’ will do anything but set your world on fire…after a couple of listens it is extremely apparent that Asomvel are not trying to break ground, change the rules and they don’t even possess a box of matches. This is supremely executed, passionately delivered and mammoth amounts of fun. No reviews needed – let Asomvel take you to hell. Go punch a ceiling or six.
Best Paired With: An assortment of demolition tools, hard hats and drinking whiskey through a hosepipe.
Reviewed by Jaff.
Asomvel – Set Your World On Fire is out now.
Leave a Reply