BOMBER are a Swedish heavy metal group, who formed in 2016. They released their debut EP a year later called "Arrival". Following this, BOMBER promoted their upcoming full release with standalone singles "Zarathrustra", "A Walk of Titans (Hearts Will Break)" and "Fever Eyes", before finally revealing their first studio album "Nocturnal Creatures" on March 25^th, 2022, via Napalm Records. The first track on the release is the title track "Nocturnal Creatures". This is a 55 second instrumental introductory piece, featuring some chilling background guitar riffs, before some spoken vocals kick in, which really adds to the spooky feel. It has a similar vibe to IRON MAIDEN's "The Number of the Beast". It is a phenomenal start to the album, as it really gears you up for what's to come!

Next up is "Zarathrustra", which instantly leaps in with an infectious guitar riff. As the song goes on, you are met with a catchy chorus which is sure to get stuck in your head! The spoken vocals in the middle of the track, as well as the theatrical sound effects really help to bring this song to life. "Fever Eyes" begins with an energetic riff, which starts the song off in the best way. Anton Sköld's vocals are spectacular in this track, with the guitar riffs most certainly doing the talking throughout! "A Walk of Titans (Hearts Will Break)" also has a very IRON MAIDEN feel about it. This is the first track on the "Nocturnal Creatures" release that is very average, in my opinion. "Black Pants Magic" contains another infectious guitar riff from the get-go. However, this song is very much like the last, unfortunately. I feel like BOMBER have so much potential, but they just aren't showing it in the last couple of songs.

"The Tiger" begins with some thunderstorm style sound effects, paired with an emotional, mellow guitar riff. However, this is quickly extinguished as a hard-hitting riff suddenly explodes into my eardrums! As the track goes on, it becomes more and more evident that the song just doesn't have that much substance and is easily forgettable. "You've Got Demons" contains a snippet of spoken word, before leaping into a powerful heavy metal style riff. "Hungry for Your Heart" is slightly different, as it kicks right in with the instrumentals right away. Just like a lot of tracks on this release though, this song just doesn't have any lasting power, unfortunately. "Kassiopeia" is another instrumental track on "Nocturnal Creatures", which most certainly goes down a treat - just effortless from start to finish! The final track on the album is "Aurora", which starts off slow and steady. This makes a pleasant change from other songs on the release. Unfortunately, this song just goes on for way too long. I feel like they could have used a track from the beginning of the album here to end the release on more of a positive note.

Overall, I think that BOMBER's "Nocturnal Creatures" is pretty average as a whole. The album only contains a handful of highlights, such as the initial track "Nocturnal Creatures" and "Zarathrustra". I honestly feel like a lot of the songs haven't really been thought through and are just filler tracks. I am quite disappointed, as I truly thought that BOMBER would surpass my expectations with this record. They really do have a long way to go.