Read the original review in Finnish here!
https://impe.fi/reviews/1/25091
Hailing from Lapland, Arched Fire offers a refreshing dose of honest, retro-inspired metal. Spanning ten tracks and nearly 40 minutes, Trust Betrayal is an energetic, rocking assortment—a “pick-and-mix” bag of the best elements of 80s metal, ranging from heavier 80s-style heavy metal and traditional speed metal to light thrash.
The wave of Finnish bands playing 80s-style speed metal half a decade ago was an interesting, albeit smaller-scale, echo of the thrash metal revival that had surged a decade earlier. While none of those bands’ material has remained in my regular rotation, the phenomenon itself was certainly a welcome one.
Arched Fire, however, is a more compelling act operating within similar territory. Boasting a down-to-earth, meaty sound, the album doesn’t strictly confine itself to a single genre; instead, it blends in bursts of thrashy intensity alongside calmer moments that pay homage to classic heavy metal. The vocalist’s range is impressive—stretching from relatively low-pitched growls and traditional heavy metal shrieks all the way to falsettos reminiscent of Judas Priest’s Painkiller era. While many retro bands tend to overuse such high-pitched wails, Trust Betrayal employs them in just the right measure.
Technically, the band hits the mark perfectly. You won’t find any gratuitous instrumental heroics here—and thankfully so. Excessive shredding would have diluted such a tight package, and the decision to stick to the fundamentals was exactly the right one. At its best, Trust Betrayal moves like an express train on 80s-era tracks—back when the rails still clattered at the expansion joints, long before they were welded into continuous, seamless lengths.
Trust Betrayal makes for an enjoyable listen from start to finish, and the band never drops the ball. While it doesn’t offer any major surprises, it leaves the listener with a clear sense of both solid technical proficiency and a genuine joy in the act of creating music. It never tries to be anything other than what it is; instead, it openly shows those of us who were young in the 80s exactly where many of its influences come from.
With its honest approach, distinct style, and clear vision, this is an album the band can be justifiably proud of—even years from now, when their own grandchildren are busy putting together a retro-inspired metalcore project of their own.
Ville Toivonen /Imperiumi.net
