Griffin are back with a new CD. Last year vocalist Peter left the band due to health circumstances after his heart attack. But luckily he came back, and can now again be heard on 'Lifeforce'. None other than Andy LaRocque (King Diamond) mixed and mastered this album, and he did a killer job. The guys from Trondheim have moved their musical approach more towards the classic hardrock sound, and similarities to Thin Lizzy are quite apparent. But make no mistake about it; this is still heavy metal! Kudos to Kai and Marcus too! These guys are definitely the best Norwegian twin-axe attack today! Just listen to tracks like "Rest", "Premonition", "Utopia" and the title-track to be convinced. I have to admit though, that it took me a little while longer to get this CD to crawl in under my skin. But when it entered, it just would not let go! 'Lifeforce' is just as good as 'No Holds Barred', and as a whole it might also be just a tad more consistent. It's about time that the rest of the world discover Griffin. They are a band you can trust to deliver the metal goods! The European edition of this album has the bonus track "Unforgiver" included. The Japanese edition has the music video for "Utopia" as an added bonus.