Want to up your kvlt cred? Hailing from Gothenburg, Helvetets Port are one of the originators within the traditional minded Swedish underground, active for over two decades. On the cover of this, the third full-length (plus a stand-alone EP), they borrow inspiration from the post-apocalyptic landscape of the Mad Max films. As with past efforts, there's a couple of tunes sung in their native language, but don't let that dissuade you. 

A little different than most others, the music leans towards early Eighties, off-kilter NWOBHM sensibilities, with an undercurrent of rock/new wave, rather than the screaming vocal, twin guitar Priest/Maiden model. Sure, there's a bit of that (see "Cry Of The Night"), but not an immediate listen. Add some falsetto to the already high pitched voice and the album is more of a grower, but stick with it. Doesn't help that the strongest (more conventional?) material is confined to the final third of the running order. Re-sequenced, it would be a stronger release, overall. 

"Black Knight" gets things off on the right foot. Mid-tempo "Wasteland Warriors" offers a couple of tasty guitar runs, but the staccato stomp of "Mutant March" sounds like a deleted Ghost tune. A rare misstep. Guitars rev (for the first time, really) on the first non-English inclusion "Hårdför Överman", which is more satisfying than "Helvete på Larvfötter" (translates to Hell on Caterpillar's Feet). After a weird start, "Legions Running Wild" gets down to a simplistic metallic formula, where the titular phrase is repeated endlessly, come the chorus. Synthesizer and syncopated drums greet upbeat "Key To The Future". As mentioned previously, the concluding duo of "Golden Axe" and "2049" are the truest metal moments. 

Would be interested to see/hear how these translate live, as many of the original NWOBHM tunes took on a completely new (better!) life, onstage. Have a feeling that might be true with Helvetets Port, as well.