WAIL is a Heavy Metal band from Norway. The five piece band aims for more of a satirical approach to the genre. "The band has been nurtured, cultivated and refined to be able to write, perform and seduce on a level that few can assert to" according to their promo biography. After the release of their debut album in 2018, their sophomore album "Civilization Maximus" came along earlier in the autumn of 2020. The album addresses many social and societal issues of the world today and expresses it all with plenty of Classic 80s Metal flair.

"Down the Mountain" immediately kicks in with some IRON MAIDEN-esque riffs. The lyrics were definitely some biting satire about how people will do anything for influential people. "Endless Repetition" is rather intense with lyrics about the health industry and how doing things the same way over and over to try to find something new can be rather... maddening. The opening riff also reminds me so much of the great DIO song "Stand Up and Shout" (and I point this out as a compliment).  "Presage" has some super catchy melodies going on. There is a whirling melancholy in the riffs that paints the picture of this song about global warming. "Through the Ice" has so much drama! The vocals from The Singer truly demand your attention throughout this headbang-worthy track. Excellent guitar solo as well, totally brings you back to the pure Heavy Metal era days of yore.

"No Hesitation" has this uneasy energy to it. The vocal style on this really makes you shiver, the melody is eerie like something is lurking in the shadows. You've Got Nothingb takes on more of a Thrash edge, pacing wise. "Manherder" has a  more Power Metal-y style with those galloping riffs at points. This song calls out religious leaders who prey on their followers by acting like messiahs. There's so much intensity in the melodies in this song; you can almost feel the condemnation with every note. "Overwhelming" continues the IRON MAIDEN worship in this song about plutocracies (meaning the wealthy elite rule the country). "Civilization Maximus" closes the album with a heavy number, full of those cool galloping riffs and Bruce Dickinson style vocals.

Overall, "Civilization Maximus" is a solid album. There was a ton of homage paid to classic Heavy Metal. IRON MAIDEN seemed to be the overwhelming sound influence of the bunch though. Maybe is was The Singer's vocals that often sounded uncanny to Bruce Dickinson? The soaring riffs often had me mesmerized and I'd forgotten I wasn't listening to some unreleased material from the legendary Metal band. Yet, I'm not complaining about the hefty homage, I'm a big fan of that style of Metal and can easily listen to it all day long. One thing that WAIL did that was unique was the lyrical content; it was basically all satire. I found myself getting pretty caught up in the words and the incredibly catchy melodies that went along with them.  It makes for an enjoyable listen-through or two.