Metal/Punk: Powerlöad - Demo '24 (2024)

68 / 100

Raw, wild, and this is what you can think about punk metal.

Although labeled as heavy metal/punk, I can’t quite figure out how Powerlöad actually deliver it at first glance. This young band from Alberta, Canada has only released one demo and two singles so far, which all sound raw, wild, and lean more toward street punk. Maybe this comes from the two members who also play in the thrash metal band Malicious Intent, but in their demo, I also catch some hints of sludge metal.

Their demo is made just like a demo should be: raw, noisy, and sometimes stacked on top of itself. The guitar sounds abrasive, yet there are still some high heavy metal-style licks, while two of the middle go for a thick, slow sludge metal/hardcore tempo. Even though it’s raw, I can still hear the bass humming, except on “Maniac” where it gets buried under the guitars.

The thrash metal influence clearly stands out in the vocal duet of Bare Bones and Chase Leclair, which makes it lean more toward punk rather than the kind of heavy metal I usually know. With enough experience, the three members show their skills well where Brett Michaels still holds on as the guitarist, while Bare Bones takes over the bass that should’ve been played by Chase Leclair, who instead became the drummer.

In the end, even though they’re not the kind of heavy metal I’m familiar with, Powerlöad sound like a mix of Judas Priest and something freer like The Exploited, while still keeping the identity of their roots in speed and thrash. That said, I’ll only take “Maniac” from this demo as it’s the most fitting for my current taste.

[The review also posted on Metal Archives.]