Release Date June 19th, 2026
Format CD/Digital
Genre Heavy/Speed Metal
Origin Belgium
Drakkar formed in Mons, Belgium, in 1983 and entered the European underground through demos, concerts and the 1988 debut “X-Rated”, issued by New Musidisc. Its mix of rapid riffing and traditional heavy metal melody led to support appearances with Queensrÿche, Metallica, Overkill and Slayer, before a long spell of inactivity removed the band from regular circulation. Drakkar returned in 2011, and Simone Mularoni produced the remastered “X-Rated Reloaded” the following year.
Original singer Fab “Leni” Vanbellinghen rejoined in 2013, followed by “Once Upon A Time In Hell” in 2014, more than eighty European dates and the live release “Once Upon A Time Hellive” in 2016. Founding member Thierry Del Cane died soon afterward, and further lineup changes preceded several singles issued between 2022 and 2025. The present formation has Leni Andersen on vocals, founding bassist Guy Duvy, Thomas Vanhorebeek and Nico Rr on guitars, and Adrien Delgambe on drums, linking three different eras of the band in one lineup.
“Invasion” comes in just under forty minutes and runs on heavy, speed and power metal, joined by groove, doom and heavy rock colors across the album. Tracked at You Studio with Pat Thayse and at Studio Canal 10, the production puts the twin guitars high in the mix, anchors them with firm drums and lets the bass add body during the faster runs; it has modern impact without sanding away every raw edge. Vanhorebeek and Rr alternate choppy riffs, harmonized leads and compact solos, while Delgambe handles frequent pace changes with accuracy and Andersen shifts between a weathered rasp, a theatrical throat voice and melodic singing, supported by gang vocals on several choruses.
“Invasion”, “Never Touch The Stars” and “The Everlasting Journey” outline the range through rapid charges, slower turns, groove breaks and doom-heavy stretches, while “666 ’N’ Rock’N’ Roll (Tribute To Them)” salutes Ozzy Osbourne and Lemmy Kilmister with a heavy rock and thrash pulse. Viking raids and battlefield images shape much of the lyrical setting, horror and mortality widen the subject matter, and the choruses often use short lines built for a concert crowd.
The weak point is arrangement clutter, several songs pile tempo changes, layered voices and effects together, causing good hooks to lose focus before they settle.A few transitions sound added after the central riff was finished. Those flaws stop the album short of an elite mark, though the guitar pairing, restless rhythms and Andersen’s wide vocal range provide enough fire to overcome most of the excess. “Invasion” is a sturdy, hard-edged return with real speed, melody and character, trimmed to an effective length and worthy of a place beside Drakkar’s earlier releases.
|7.8
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