Album Review: Asomvel - Set Your World On Fire (2026)
5 hours ago
5 min read
Written: 27th September 2026
Let us get the obvious out of the way first. Asomvel look like Motörhead and they often sound like Motörhead. However, there are worse bands to be compared to and since their debut album in 2009, Asomvel have built a reputation for loud, fast and unapologetic rock ’n’ roll, both on record and on stage. They have toured extensively in recent years and, most recently, I caught them ripping up the stage at Stonedead Festival in August, where their performance was met with an extremely enthusiastic response from the crowd. Set Your World on Fire is the band’s fifth album and talking about their approach to music the band say, “This is non-stop hellfire raining down from your turntable delivered by a band teeming with the kind of primeval fury you can hear in every chord. It’s old-school rock without being a throwback, because to Asomvel, this is just how hard rock should sound. If this album doesn’t set your world on fire, nothing will.”
Backing up that statement, King Of The World is an adrenaline-fuelled opener that immediately finds the band operating at full throttle. With rapid-fire riffs, relentless double-kick drumming and suitably straightforward lyrics centred on breaking free and seizing control. Keep on rollin’ / Chase the lightnin’ / Electrifyin’ / Open your eyes / Never say die. Full of volatile energy, it sets the tone for everything that follows.
Lone Wolf keeps the aggression high and Ralph Robinson’s raspy vocals are the perfect foil for his own pulsating basslines and the insistent riffs of his father Lenny and brother Stel. If anything, it is even more breakneck than King of the World. However, within the belligerence and boisterousness, there is significant groove and melody, which becomes increasingly apparent on the title track. The lyrics might not be the most adventurous you will come across this year but they do not need to be. There is something to be said for keeping things direct and Asomvel get right to the heart of what they are trying to say. For the most part, these songs are about attitude, facing up to whatever the world throws at you and refusing to back down, Set Your World On Fire in particular calling for you to break away from conformity, find your own path and set your life ablaze. The whim of a madman / Like a dog with a bone / The lights are on but no one’s home / Set your world on fire. The guitar solos are another highlight, with some properly scorching fretwork on display and the title track delivers one of the album’s finest moments.
Asomvel clearly decided that Set Your World On Fire was going to be a completely no-nonsense, headbanging festival of pounding drums, muscular hard rock and hook-laden songs. It rarely pauses for breath. Back From The Dead (It's Your Funeral) highlights just what a compelling drummer Ryan Thackwray is, whilst the rampant bass runs of Ralph Robinson and a series of fiery guitar solos combine to create a hell-raising, no-frills assault.
World At War brings a change of pace to the album, adopting a slower, but still heavy, ballad-like approach that offers something different. A bleak protest against politicians sending ordinary people into conflict whilst suffering continues around them, the lyrics focus on death, destruction and the human cost of decisions made by others. A heartfelt solo adds another dimension to the album, providing a striking contrast to the fire and brimstone that dominates elsewhere. During its final quarter, the song gathers significant momentum, reflecting the chaos and deafening reality of life on the battlefield.
In quick succession, Blood Runs Cold, Eye Of The Storm and Your Worst Nightmare raise the intensity once more, producing some stunning drumming from Thackwray, whilst Ralph Robinson's vocals reach fever pitch as he throws everything he has into each performance. Although the music is undeniably aggressive, there is still a great deal of thought behind the arrangements, with every instrument clearly audible and each song remaining lean, focused and free of unnecessary excess.
Into The Fire is one of my favourites here and a perfect example of why Asomvel are such an enjoyable band, whilst also showing that there is more to them than simply playing loud and fast. The darker lyrics, with their imagery of darkness, temptation and destruction, fit the music perfectly, while the song also pushes further into their speed-metal influences. Darkness descending / Asleep at the wheel / We’re no better than the beasts in the field / Slippery slope, abandon all hope / Look at us all at the end of our hope. The bass work throughout is a complete joy, twisting and turning beneath Ryan Thackwray's pounding drums while Lenny and Stel Robinson provide the necessary bite without overwhelming the track. Every member brings something to the song and it really feels like a team effort, with the guitars given room to breathe through some searing solo work.
If It’s Too Loud, You’re Too Old is an old-school celebration of turning everything up and refusing to tone things down. Amongst the hard rock and metal influences, the structure of the chorus is highly reminiscent of early Def Leppard. The penultimate track, Take You To Hell, shows that Asomvel are far from running out of steam, with some of the fastest material on Set Your World On Fire. Light ’Em Up brings proceedings to an end with another insanely catchy slab of metal, its chorus surely destined to be sung back at the band at gigs around the country. A classic set closer, for sure.
With Set Your World On Fire, Asomvel have delivered exactly the sort of album fans will be hoping for whilst demonstrating that there is more to the band than simple nostalgia. The Motörhead influence remains impossible to ignore but rather than merely recreating a familiar formula, Asomvel continue to shape those inspirations into something that feels distinctly their own. This is Asomvel stretching themselves without losing what makes them so much fun to listen to. Whether through the darker themes explored on Into The Fire, the welcome detour of World At War or the sheer sense of purpose that drives much of the record, there is evidence throughout of a band determined to push forwards rather than stand still. Lean, ferocious and packed with memorable songs.
Set Your World On Fire is released on 1st October 2026
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ASOMVEL 2026 TOUR DATES
HEADLINE TOUR
Nov 13th – Wolverhampton, KK’s Steelmill
Nov 15th – London, Underworld
Nov 16th – Bristol, Exchange
Nov 17th – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
Nov 18th – Glasgow, Classic Grand
Nov 20th – Newcastle, The Cluny
Nov 21st – Leeds, The Key Club
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