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The Batallion is another Norwegian act retaliating with their second output. The members are well respected musicians having played with acts like Old Funeral, Taake, Borknagar and Grimfist, amongst others. What has been recorded on this eleven-track, thirty-eight minutes disc is straightforward, kicking and in-your-face type of music.

Labeled as thrash metal, Head Up High is very riff-driven. The sound production is very good, so you get a good quality kick-in-the-arse metal shot for your money, as long as you're into this type of music, of course. The harsh vocals are decent, although a bit too much on the screaming side for my own taste. The songs are not too long or elaborate, but are bound to get your feet beating to the rhythm in more than a few occasions. Guitar solos and juicy riffs are omnipresent, while some playing is quite wicked at times. On the other hand, not too much variation is offered, although nothing bad is present either. I don't have any specific track to mention, but I enjoyed the solo on "20 Paces to Death" and the riffing on "When Death Becomes Dangerous", "Each Man for Himself" and the title track.

All in all, Head Up High is a solid thrash metal release that will deliver a good kick in the jaw to the fans.