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OZ have been at this game for a long time—well, at least drummer Mark Ruffneck, as he's the only original member left—and I'm always apprehensive when I see older bands release a new album. Well, Forced Commandments, their third album since forming back in 2010 after a nine-year hiatus, alleviated my fears from the first song all the way to the end. There's that classic, catchy, fun '80s style that's omnipresent, but the band's sound is modern, powerful and crystal clear. Not all bands manage to pull this off without sounding fake or overpolished. The vocals take centre stage here, with just about every song being an invitation for the listener to sing along. Amazing vocal melodies throughout. One could say this is so catchy as to be on the commercial side, but the crunchy and heavy guitars carry these melodies with the full power of classic heavy metal served with a modern sauce. Thunderous drums complete the package. Not all songs here are equally good but all of them are pretty strong in their own right, making Forced Commandments an album that just begs for repeated listens.