Now…Exclusive!

Hailing from that Black Metal hotbed of Norway come the decidedly non Black Metal band Fastlane Flower. Yes, as difficult as it may be to believe, Norway has given us other metal besides Black Metal. Take Fastlane Flower for example, they have just released their debut album called”Deadline” and musically the band treads familiar hard rock/metal territory, but in their own energetic presentation. The opening song “Agent of Chaos” has almost a prog-like feel to it, thanks to the keyboard part near the middle of the track. Next up is “State of Emergency” which could have some mainstream appeal if given the chance. Some male screaming vocals are provided here and accompanied by a chainsaw like guitar riff that gets the job done. “Monkey Business” is next and after slower tempo to start the song, the band picks up the speed and tempo as this song races to its completion. “Blue Moon” is one of the heavier tracks that showcase a nice chugging guitar riff, before changing tempos from fast to slow and back again. Other highlights include: “Secret Archive” and “Before I’m Gone”, “Coping With the Loss of Beauty” and “At the Rainbow’s End”. In the end, some stuff on “Deadline” works and others not so much.  Still, Fastlane Flower has delivered a good effort for a debut album and one that should bode well for the future of this Norwegian outfit.