ALBUM REVIEW: Cruel Force – Haneda

German heavy metal titans Cruel Force are back with their fourth album, “Haneda”. It is no secret that “Dawn of the Axe“, their previous record, was a firm favourite in recent years for me. Once again, Shadow Kingdom Records releases this opus, conveniently on my birthday, 27th March.

Soaring guitars summon a potent sense of adventure with a warmth to the mix and massive, spacious drums; telling us that what is about to kick off is something special. Sure enough, lead single “Whips-A-Swinging”, which I have been playing a lot since its release, fires in on all cylinders. Crushing speed metal riffing and monstrous drums with sweeping fills lay waste to all with rabid vocals punching through the leather thanks to their powerful delivery and superb pacing. Cruel Force have cemented themselves as a timeless and classic metal band in my view, and the strength of this record’s opening moments perfectly illustrates my point. The guitars are powerful in the writing and the delivery, not to mention the sublime production. The bass adds that thick, stabbing low end, and the drums, as I mentioned before, sound huge. From the rototoms and reversed snare hits to the majestic soloing, these maniacs ride in on a storm of killer riffs but with the embellishments to elevate their music to something classic and defining. With all of the meanness of German speed metal pioneers, the atmosphere of classic USPM, and the monolithic overall execution of timeless rock bands like Rainbow, Scorpions, and Dio; Cruel Force embodies everything that one should as a heavy metal band. This extends to their artwork, recording methods, live shows, logos, photos, the works.

There is notably more emphasis on the storytelling side of this record without feeling like some pretentious affair. The vocals and lyrics are delivered with a menacing snarl and hold a commanding presence backed up by the artillery of truly magnificent instrumental work. Cruel Force are an unbreakable unit; those who have seen them live can attest to that. I adore the ancient imagery and theme on this record, which feels like “Powerslave” on amphetamines topped up by some Uli Jon Roth guitar wizardry and Iron Angel-esque battery. Whilst harnessing the classic and essential elements of the genre’s finest moments, Cruel Force are not afraid to increase the bombastic, cinematic, and adventurous elements of their music, which have bloomed into an unwieldy force of total domination.

Effortlessly going from the magnificence of early Manowar into pure high-speed venomous carnage, these four fellas cannot be held back since they were unleashed. Slaughter’s guitar work, especially in the solos, feels more inspired than ever, and the drumming, bass, and vocals of GG Alex, Spider, and Carnivore are no less ferocious. It feels like lightning has been captured by the spears of the gods and flows with an electrifying current into the heart of some archaic temple to reanimate the ancient ways— both thematically and musically. The blistering work on “Sword of Iron” or the more melodically ambitious “Warlords” (seriously, how much more ripping can a song get?) can be compared as a testament to Cruel Force’s ever-growing abilities to craft interesting and exciting songs.

Today (the 5th of February 2026) marks 16 years since the band’s ravenous debut album “The Rise of Satanic Might” was released, a firm favourite in the black thrash genre and a scathing first effort. No matter how much I love that record though, I feel the rebirth of the band with their third album “Dawn of the Axe” was their entrance into a whole new league and “Haneda” continues to live up to this insane level of quality. I can say with total conviction that I will be blasting this record for many years to come and talking about it in the same breath as legends from 40 years prior. It just cannot be denied this has that timeless, grandiose quality and furthermore all of the elements sonically, visually and lyrically sit in perfect harmony.

As much as I don’t like to get into the “objective” diatribes of some self-appointed critic; I couldn’t find something to tear apart even if I wanted to. The music feels authentic on a songwriting and production level and all of the elements within this record complement each other beautifully. To back this up, the band’s conviction in what they do is unbreakable. I’ve met them a handful of times and seen them live, I have no doubts they are the real article. Nothing but total passion, dedication and adoration for heavy metal, playing your instrument and creatively pursuing the creation of a wonderful record could yield these results. No nepotism, industry or financial backing could conjure as convincing an effort as this one. Perfidious bands infect the scene with their “old-school revivalist” cosplay, which is absurd because metal never went anywhere. Instead it grew in strength in the underground for albums such as this to smite posers off the face of the earth with total power.

The savage gods have been invoked once more. Cruel Force follow their career-defining “Dawn of the Axe” with a masterpiece of just as much potency and skill. Ever since the titan’s reawakening after their hiatus, this band has been putting the power back into metal and showing no remorse or mercy to those who have forgotten the true metallic ways. When real die-hard maniacs passionately and creatively unleash records like this, it shows the genre is as strong as it ever was, especially in the underground. “Haneda” is a record like few others in this day and age. A heavy metal album of many facets, directions and sounds that work in unison to deliver an unforgettable strike! One that can definitely become a classic to many people who value the traditions of ancient metal magick. 

For further reading, check out my Cruel Force interview’s part one here and part two here!