Opening with a fat bassline, Nightblade’s current single ‘Speak As You Find’ immediately catches the listener’s attention. Adding a chopping guitar riff, it initially sounds like the British rockers are about to venture into early Franz Ferdinand territory, but with the spikier elements offset by a broad, melodic vocal, it isn’t long before a slightly more familiar Nightblade sound takes centre stage.

Frontman Mark Crosby is in fantastic voice. He bends an almost soulful tone around Chris Seldon’s huge bass sound with a natural flair, capturing a really accessible sound throughout. Even when the guitars take on a slightly chunkier mantle, the melodic streak running through this track holds firm. It’s soon obvious that ‘Speak As You’ll Find’ is the sound of four musicians somewhere near the top of their game, not having to resort to anything particularly flashy to impress, and with a great arrangement bolstered by the kind of chorus that sounds like it’ll grab the live audience, it could easily be one of the best Nightblade tracks to date.

It’s certainly a number less rooted within a traditional melodic hard rock sound, which might split fan opinion…but it’s great to hear a band moving forward and not playing to expectations. A highlight of the band’s current album ‘5’ – their fifth in as many years – ‘Speak As You Find’ deserves a broader audience. It’s definitely the kind of hooky number that could bring new listeners into the Nightblade family.

Take a listen below.