MASQUERAGE
"Atomic Spies"
(Stormspell Records; 2026)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Masquerage is a great name for a band and "Atomic Spies" is a decent melodic metal album. Despite the nuclear cloud pictured on the album cover, however, "Atomic Spies" never truly explodes into full metal mode (although it often comes close) and instead rides an edge that's closer to Y&T and Legs Diamond than to, say, In Flames.
Take, for example, Track #1, "On the Edge of Beliefs," which begins with a quiet piano riff and builds with power chords into a ballad-paced piece. Not bad, but it didn't exactly grab my attention (despite its catchy chorus), nor give me an idea what to expect from the rest of the album. The title track is up next, however, and it speeds things up quite a bit while showing you a different, rougher-edged side of the band and the album.
Thankfully, most of the tracks are like this one, especially the galloping "The Devil to Pay" and "The Healthiest Man to Die." Honestly, though, except for the first track (and that may just be because I was expecting something more), none of the tracks here are weak, dull, or boring. It's just that the songs are better when they're a little heavier and that has as much to do with the music as it does with the vocals, in which singer Kimmo Perämäki (CELESTY, SPIRITUS MORTIS) can belt out some high-pitched metal calls.
For more information, check out https://www.facebook.com/masquerage.official/.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
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Copyright © 2026 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
