I reviewed this Finnish band's EP Wordless Wisdom of Lord Fist several years ago but somehow missed their debut album (Green Eyleen). Well now I have Wilderness of Hearts, their second full-length, and as I said about the EP, the guitars are the reason to get excited about this band. Lord Fist continue to mine the '80s traditional metal sound with some excellent twin-guitar harmonies and lead work that would make Smith & Murray and Tipton & Downing proud. Singer Perttu Koivunen is still limited as a singer and on the one hand, his plain voice and narrow range give Lord Fist's sound a NWOBHM vibe, but on the other, it limits their music's appeal as he doesn't have a lot of charisma. You can hear there is some depth to the lyrics and Wilderness of Hearts features quality riffing throughout. Some of these songs could really fly but just never take off. To my ears, Lord Fist remains a band with a lot of potential, fueled by energy and enthusiasm, and better vocals would help them capitalize on that promise.
