In recent years we've seen no end of dorky, Dungeons & Dragons influenced metal, and as a fan off all of those things it's always a pleasant surprise to get some in my inbox. What I've never really gotten to experience before though is nerdy and fun thrash metal. Yet this is exactly what High Rider provide. Padded out with an over the top synth weaving mystical dungeon synth-like melodies around even the most insane moments, Roll For Initiative is a hell of a ride. A record that refuses to take itself too seriously, there is a very real and surreal magic to really getting invested in what this band has to offer. In a phrase: High Rider understand the power of heavy metal and they see that it is good. In a world where bands often take themselves far too seriously and don't seem to understand the inherent ridiculousness of heavy metal as an art form, it's strangely satisfying to get to spend some time with a record like this one, that understands the tropes we love and feeds them to us in an exciting and powerful way.
The defining aspect of this record is in many ways the weird keyboards that sort of hover over everything. While normally High Rider seem fairly content to dish out epic feeling thrash metal with wonderfully twisted vocals it's the keys that differentiate this musically. They add a certain ethereal and nerdy magic to the intro of "Vagina Al Dente", and they enhance even the harshest riffs with swords and sorcery magic. They drive forth with the glory of a band who understand that this music isn't just a way to have fun, but a guiding filament from 2017 back to the era of the bards. The fact that they are guiding it forward with gnarly riffs, sick solos and fun arrangements is just a side note. Important to note though is that High Rider is in no way a folk metal band, what the keys accomplish really is more a setting of the mood than anything else. It's how we can tell that no matter what happens, this band will be here to guide us through and mosh our collective faces off.
Listening to these grooving guitars, Thin Lizzy-esque breaks and pounding drums only serves to remind the listener of the enduring power of rock and roll. There is a rip roaring magic to a track like "Emotional Werewolf" that can't help but to feel reminiscent of Kvelertak. In fact, Kvelertak might be the most effective point of reference for the entire band. They have that same devastating heaviness couched within artistic brilliance and rock and roll glory. Sure these guys haven't fully realized their vision yet but it's starting to get there. While the production definitely needs to improve by leaps and bounds and the songwriting could certainly cut out a lot of fat, High Rider aren't afraid to give the listener what they want. Watching them polish up their act and really come to terms with their talent should be very interesting.
Score: 7.5/10
