Hard to believe Polish heavy metal act Turbo have now been around for 34 years...yes, you read that right, and their latest album The Fifth Element now marks just about a dozen releases in that time span. Plagued by line-up changes throughout their career, Turbo has now had a stable roster since 2009, ironically when new vocalist Tomasz Struszczyk joined the band. Here on The Fifth Element Turbo continue on with their polished heavy metal style, a little short on originality but containing all the elements that any headbanger will enjoy. The title track is a fist pumping anthem with plenty of chugging riffs, catchy melodies, and pounding rhythms, while "Taste of Forever", "Smash the Wall", "Handful of Sand", and "This War Machine" mix memorable hooks with six string pyrotechnics, Struszczyk's vocals soaring over the top in fine fashion. Look out for the sizzling instrumental "Amalgam", which shows their musical dexterity, and the gorgeous "Blues Measured by the Clock Ticking" starts off as a tender ballad before morphing into a blistering power metal thumper.
Pretty much unknown here in North America, Turbo are a band that would certainly appeal to any fan of Accept, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Saxon with their blend of melodic, classic metal sounds. Less thrash oriented than some of their earlier releases, The Fifth Element is pretty catchy and certainly heavy enough, and well worth a listen.
Track Listing
1) Think and Fight
2) Taste of Forever
3) Heart on the Pyre
4) The Fifth Element
5) Small the Wall
6) Handful of Sand
7) Relentless
8) Amalgam
9) Light Up the Night
10) The War Machine
11) Blues Measured by the Clock Ticking
12) Small the Wall (acoustic-bonus track)
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