ACER FURY is a traditional heavy metal band from the 80s, which was when a lot of the genre was invented. They open promisingly, with an intro that reminds me of the second half of the solo from ACCEPT's "Fast as a Shark". Sadly, promise doesn't always follow through.

The least enjoyable aspect of this album is the vocals. Arnie Arnraldi has some good musical instincts, but not enough command of vocal techniques, and often sounds out of tune. On title track "Crazy King", he drags his pronunciation of the words "crazy king", which is distracting. Overall, his vocals seem to wobble (different to producing a vibrato effect) on the high notes. His singing didn't really sound "free" to me; he appears to be straining most of the time.

Guitarists U.B. Vincent and Chris J. White produce some cool riffs here and there, and it seems like the lead guitar parts are the strength of this band. There are some good solos, but this alone isn't enough to carry an 80s traditional heavy metal band. While they clearly play their instruments well (and certainly far better than I currently play the guitar), the way they've composed their riffs and solos strike me as mostly unoriginal and lacking in anything surprising. Ö-li (on bass) and Gary G. (drums) are mostly passive, and do not add much to the dynamics of the tracks, although the former plays a rich, audible part on "Stranger in Time". There is a lack of cohesion on the tracks, so at times it feels as though bits and pieces have been pasted together. For example, on "Village in Rage", the chorus suddenly vanishes into the beginning of the next section.

ACER FURY seems to be a band that time forgot. While this can be a great pity for some bands, time forgets others for good reason. Unfortunately, this band has confined themselves to dusty obscurity through their own mediocrity.