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Eighth album from Finnish Heavy Metal veterans OZ, and the second one with new vocalist Vince Koivula. When Ape left the band, no one was certain if they could go on, as his distinctive vocal style was a big part of the band's appeal. However, they proved they were more than capable of that with Transition State a few years ago, and Forced Commandments is basically a refinement of that album and all the promise that it displayed.

This serves both as a distillation of everything the band is good at and a refreshing update to their classic sound. You get the balls-to-the-wall Metal tracks like "Liar" and "Diving into Darkness", the anthemic rockers like "Switchblade Alley", the NWOBHM asskickers like "Prison Time", the Neoclassical stylings of "Spiders", and even some ballads like "Long and Lonely Road" that'll have you getting your lighter out in no time, all topped off with enough joyful cheese to bake a pizza with. Vince once again proves himself to be an asset to the band, as his wide vocal range gives them the opportunity to write more varied and detailed material than ever before.

Overall, this is a clear step up from their last one, and it proves that even after 40+ years and despite some difficulties in their journey, OZ are still moving forward and doing it with style. Recommended.