Definitely hard rock but there’s speed and weight to it. Most of these songs don’t have that slower blues mosey or rockabilly bounce you’ll hear in energetic songs from AC/DC or Kiss. Also, pay attention to what Freddie Mercury is able to do with his voice on the debut.

The A-Side

I’ve done a few albums from the 1970s and 1980s where we have a 10-track release that manages to keep things under 40 minutes. In those cases, the album is usually split eventually across the two sides. With Queen, we an A-side with four tracks but that’s because a few songs are a bit on the beefy side length-wise.

There are two tracks that really caught my attention here in the two “King” songs. “Great King Rat” comes in with speed and heaviness which I love, of course. It’s not what you’d get from speed metal in the 1980s but it was similar to a song on New York band Riot’s first two albums. I’d something like “Road Racin’” or “Warrior.”

As mentioned in our review of Riot, those first two albums—also released in the 1970s—were hard rock with a speed metal song tucked in there somewhere. Queen was definitely cooking with something here—they were cooking throughout the album—but this song and the other A-side banger really intrigued me.

Before getting into that one, “Keep Yourself Alive” deserves a nod for opening the album with some bite. There’s such a mix on this album that if you’re someone who needs some fire off the bat—like myself—this track does the job.

“My Fairy King” is my favorite track on the album. It reminds me of something I would hear on a Rainbow album—and that gets a massive thumbs up. Queen released before Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow but the more of that and Uriah Heep I hear here, the better.

I’m not the biggest progressive rock fan and Queen isn’t just dominated by it but what prog is here leans more towards the faster, heavy end. That works for me.

Standout Tracks: Great King Rat**, My Fairy King***

The B-Side

The B-side is pretty damn good throughout. It opens with “Liar” which has the same bite and oomph as “Keep Yourself Alive.” Things slow down quite a bit with “The Night Comes Down” which is a fine song and the only track on the album that catch me off the bat. It would be replayed but on the first run through, it didn’t get any replays.

“Son and Daughter” and “Jesus” were the replay magnets on the B-side. I really enjoyed “Son and Daughter” it was right along what I like about “Great King Rat” with the heaviness. The album closes with “Jesus” and the instrumental “Seven Seas of Rhye.”

Instrumentals rarely do it for me but the closer was a brief one and decent. Again, there was a lot going down in under 40-minutes.

Standout Tracks: Liar*, Son and Daughter**, Jesus

Strength of the Opener: Keep Yourself Alive

My replacements for opener tend to come from the standout tracks on both sides. “Keep Yourself Alive” does a fine job as an opening track but either of the two “King” songs would be my top two picks for that slot. I love an album that starts off with dynamite, high energy—some fire and fury.

“Keep Yourself Alive” has both but “Great King Rat” is a stronger song and “My Fairy King” is even stronger! “GKR” is a bit lengthy for an explosive opener but part of this song’s strength comes from keeping that aggressiveness throughout.

“Son and Daughter” would make for a good opener as well and is punchy in length to where it doesn’t stick around too long.

Overall—like others who have reviewed or recommended Queen—I believe this album shows a lot of the potential that Queen would realize in the 1970s and 1980s. There were a few songs that were fine and many that were good or better. You can hear Queen showcasing “We can do this and that—oh and this! Plus we have this awesome singer and amazing guitarists!”

This album isn’t a collection of Queen’s best but they do deliver some bangers that make me wonder “What if they went this route?” and “I’d love more of this and less of that.” Queen encourages possibilities and ups anticipation for the follow-up and that gets a thumbs up.

Staff Writer; James “Metal” Swift Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

It’s never been particularly difficult to mix in funk with rock or metal to get a good mix. Living Colour, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Faith No More all did this and produced legendary bangers. As far funk taking in elements of rock, it’s been done with the likes of War, Mandrill, Funkadelic, Prince, and Rick James. We’ll definitely get into Funkadelic because their sound mixed psychedelic rock and their brand of P-funk wonderfully.

Rick James and His Street Funk

However, Rick James—who had a rock edge to his funk since 1979’s Fire It Up—had been considered one the main names in early funk rock. One way to describe it that I really liked was “funk straight from the street”. That’s actually very accurate because even in metal now, having a sound that has a street-wise edge—especially in speed metal—tends to add some character to a Motorhead, Hellhammer, or early-Venom-inspired band.

While his tales of street life, sex, and sleaze predated the L. A metal likes of Motley Crue, Faster Pussycat, and W.A.S P, it was that extra rock bite that made that took his funk from the jam-like enclosures of Parliament and Bootsy Collins and actually saw him become a name in the early MTV age. His funk and later Prince’s were marketable to the mainstream. It wasn’t dated and was right at home alongside Madonna, Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, and so on.

Street Songs was the approach of Fire It Up revisited and sharpened. Released in 1981, Rick James had dropped an album loaded with memorable bangers, MTV and radio-ready, and headed up with four very strong singles. The other eight tracks that weren’t singles were no slouches either!

He had found a formula that would work for this period and simply had to stick with it. Of course, those in funk or with funk roots regularly experiment and aim to evolve their sound to some degree. While we might hear some funk acts in a form they’ve been in for 10 to 20 years now, it took them years to get their sound to that point and decide “This is it, this is the sound.”

Plus, you have to hear a funk band live to really hear them go through different influences, sounds, and tempos. Yes, even on records funk can be wild and unchained but even those releases see the acts take the best, most cohesive tracks for a release meant to make a profit. Once they’re live, you get a mix of promo and the band in their natural environment.

Rick James was no different despite the decade. Even when he made a comeback with the momentum from his Chappelle’s Show appearances, there was still a fast and loose approach to his performances as he touched on the classic bangers that brought him to the dance. That approach is why the star of Street Songs, “Super Freak” has an amazing 7-minute version—which could’ve been longer, honestly.

Looking at it now, it would’ve been interesting to see how his sound would’ve evolved in the early 1980s with the rise of the glam metal bands—some of which had a very Rick James-approach to their lyrics and showmanship. Could he have gone in a faster, harder direction as many acts do with age and seniority in the industry or would he have kept his approach in full and become eclipsed by his contemporaries who surpassed him before the decade was out?

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

What Kind of Vibe is Riot City?

At first, I was thinking “Wow, Riot City gives me Riot vibes.” Riot is an 80s band from New York City that different periods before settling in the speed metal and power metal lanes. The thing about each of those periods is that they each had some pretty damn good stuff. Their first two albums were hard rock but had speed metal songs on both in the late 1970s.

However, Riot wasn’t to be exact. It’s just that the opening track “Warrior of Time” rides like a Riot song. No, Riot City reminded me more of a speedier Judas Priest. They’re as if you mixed Priest’s Painkller and Defenders of the Faith together, tossed in some Battalions of Fear from Blind Guardian, and gave it a gallon of 80s bite.

Riot City is as if Judas Priest played just their high energy hits and we’ve got some King Diamond or Lizzy Borden mixed in where the lead singer will ride the peak of their shrieking. It all makes for a fast, heavy, and sometimes epic listen. The way that the vocals are used from track to track takes the album on some other direction with a familiar conductor.

The band has been around since 2011 and just released their debut in 2019. They had plenty of time to practice, write songs, round them out, and perform with other projects before they floated out Burn the Night and that was time well spent.

If I had to firmly place the sound, it’s towards the end of Halford’s first run with Judas Priest and some of Halford’s solo albums—but faster. The sound is as if you had all of the fast Priest songs in simplest terms. I know many enjoy the slower, more meaningful Priest songs but the faster ones really rock, folks.

So, imagine if Judas Priest played Defenders of the Faith, Painkiller, Redeemers of Souls, and Firepower—and only those albums but faster. That’s pretty much Riot City. It’s not the best description but that’s what I’d go with for someone more familiar with Judas Priest or older metal.

Great Debuts: “Burn the Night”

Talk about an A+ debut! Burn the Night is just about a perfect debut for a metal band in their vein. There’s the foundation of “We play fast, heavy as hell metal music. We’re loud and heavy” with a little of the unexpected. After the first two songs, you get the idea that this might be a pretty fast affair.

You’d be correct as the album is 37-minutes. However, the third track changes things up a bit. “In the Dark” starts off sounding like a ballad—which I’m not too big on—then it really starts to rock. I mean, it really starts to rock once it kicks into gear. Then you know “Oh, this whole thing is a speedy affair. Nice.”

Throughout the album, the band just rides tracks. The percussion and bass are holding the pace of these songs tightly because the guitars can go on their own at times. Sometimes, the guitars can ride a little hard then the vocals glues all of it together.

Speaking of the vocals, Cale Savy did the damn thing on this album. He had moments where he brought tracks into this epic realm outside of the speed fest approach. Apparently, he’s handed over vocal duties so we’ll see if they keep the explosive approach of this debut or make something entirely different.

Burn the Night is the debut from a young band made of seasoned musicians who have been in other bands in Canada. While each player has other projects that either came before Riot City or are more active, this band has a lot of potential to deliver a strong follow-up based off just the debut.

To sum up the album: it’s what Painkiller III or Painkiller IV would’ve been if Judas Priest made the first Painkiller a series of albums. I hate to keep comparing Riot City to Judas Priest but there are times in this album where it just really hits: “Priest”.

Strength of the Opener: “Warrior of Time”

I’d say that “Warrior of Time” is a good opener for Burn the Night. It’s an explosive track that doesn’t even display Cale’s vocals at their peak but it rides for almost six minutes. It has this pace that really establishes what you’re getting into on this album. Sometimes you want to be surprised while other times you just want to know what kind of party it is.

Hell, sometimes you just want consistency. I’m big consistency in a band and throughout an album. Burn the Night is a very consistent album and “Warrior of Time” really sets that up. If I had to pick a different opener then “Steel Rider” or “The Hunter” would be my closest picks. However, “Warrior of Time” is the strongest track of the three.

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

My mother passed in January 2021 and decided to look more into bands she enjoyed such as Journey, Blondie, and yes, Heart. The first album I heard from the band was their third release Little Queen from 1977 which features a hit song we’re all probably familiar with by now.

Heart – Little Queen (1977)

Little Queen features ten tracks—twelve if you get the reissue which features a cover of “Stairway to Heaven”. The album leans towards folk rock but there are flashes of hard rock.

It’s important to note that in listening to 1970s Heart, you’ll notice that they weren’t the heaviest or hardest band in the land. A lot of the stuff from this period lean towards a lighter side but all of their songs on these releases have emotion to them.

They’re albums you have to sit with and actually take in. On each album there is some hard rock, so you’ll get that fix of music you can just enjoy and not have to really reflect on but that’s not Heart’s bag.

Which I always thought was a shame because Heart rocks out, they really rock out. The best example of the band putting these two sounds together was “Magic Man” from Dreamboat Annie.

I don’t know what it is but there’s just something about female lead singers and folk rock that just clicks. Now, I won’t say it’s hard for a female singer to mess up with folk rock but regardless of vocal range or vocal power, they just tend to gel well with the genre.

It’s no different here. Even though it’s far from my preferred genre, I dig vocalists first then guitarists. Both sisters delivered on Little Queen as they did in the two previous albums and as they would in the 1980s.

Heart was just ridiculously consistent and talented. I tend to use “vibe” a lot when discussing hip-hop but this album is very much a vibe with some harder, rocking songs sprinkled in.

You have something like “Love Alive” and “Cry to Me” right next to “Barracuda” and “Little Queen” on this release and it’s a nice mix that just works. It helps that the songs are good as well, obviously.

While I’m going to get into “Barracuda”, I applaud the placing of “Kick It Out” and “Little Queen”. It’s this double whammy of just hard rock and that gets a thumbs up from me!

Standout Tracks: Barracuda*, Kick It Out, Little Queen*, Cry to Me

The Star: Barracuda

Interesting known fact: the album cover for Dreamboat Annie resulted in one of the band’s most well-known hits. Their original label Mushroom Records released a sleazy tagline that alluded that the sisters were in an incestuous relationship.

Angry, Ann and Nancy began writing “Barracuda” which is their most known song. Trust me: if you’re an adult, you’ve run into “Barracuda” more than three times in your life. It’s like “Ace of Spades” and “Breaking the Law”.

What I really love about this particular song is that it’s the opener. When half or the bulk of your album is lighter, a heavier song like “Barracuda” is a double-edged knife.

On one hand, it’s good to get the blood pumping with a hard song. However, you kind of have to keep that tempo up. That harder song might end up being the selling point of the album or the lead single.

That creates an impression of what kind of party it is when your band might have a wild mix or were just trying something to see what sticks. Hell, your band probably thought “This is a really good song! Let’s make it the single!”

Yet the rest of album isn’t exactly in that same area or it might be another state or two over from that sound. It’s weird but “Barracuda” is such a great song. I would’ve loved an album heavy on this or the sound of “Magic Man”, honestly.

Album Verdict

It took some listens over the years for me to appreciate the album. This just wasn’t my sound for the most part. Once you appreciate an album, you might even get to enjoy it.

Right now, I’m still at the appreciation stage. While “Barracuda” and “Little Queen” are in my hard rock playlist—as is “Magic Man” and a few others—the album as a whole isn’t something that get revisited regularly.

The musicianship here is extremely tight and they use their inspirations extremely well to make some good tunes but as an entire project, I’m just in the middle on it.

As I said, this album has more of a chill vibe than what was usually on the radio at the time. Folk rock still had some skin in the rock game in the late 70s but Heart brought just enough hard rock that mainstream fans would give it a purchase.

I’ll say overall, this was a solid album. Great musicianship by all involved, Ann is a favorite of mine as far as singers go but the vibe or just how the tracks are arranged keeps Little Queen from being a strong album.

Grade: Solid Album

Staff Writer; James Swift, Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

This was an album I saw in stores as a kid and thought it looked cool from the artwork. I used to draw a lot back then and stuff like comic book and album covers were an influence.

Mind you didn’t, I didn’t hear the album until a decade later. When I finally did listen to it, it was something entirely new. By that time I was listening to hip-hop but mainly stuff from the South.

It was 2005 and 1992’s Body Count was the first I’d heard any Ice-T project. This album piqued my interest and is the reason I enjoy Power and O.G. Original Gangsta now.

The Vision for Ice T and Body Count

Body Count made its debut on O.G. Original Gangsta. This likely contributed to the band being labeled rap rock tag. If it needed a new title, “street metal” or “hood metal” would’ve done it. Ice T doesn’t actually rap on the first album.

It’s more of a mix between singing and spoken word. Growing up, Ice T took in all kinds of music and had friends who played rock and also enjoyed metal. Ice T’s hip-hop career definitely allowed for exploration of different styles.

What Ice T and Ernie C wanted to achieve with the band was rock and metal with hip-hop energy and storytelling. As a long-time fan of rock and metal, I can agree with his view that the lyrics do tend to lean more towards fiction depending on the band.

I believe the intent was to merge rock and hip-hop together merging content that is usually addressed in politically aware hip-hop with the technical side of rock.

This mix should’ve been massive in rock and resulted in more artists from a hip-hop background or who grew up in the trappings discussed in hip-hop telling their stories in rock. Professionally, it brought Ice T into households and on radios that didn’t entertainment hip-hop.

What happened with this meeting of styles was more like bands taking the technical aspects of both and making of rap rock or rap metal. Stories—about a part of America that the mainstream usually ignored until something bad happened—were still being told.

However, for the most part they were more aggressive versions stories we’d heard for decades in same genre. They were just faster, louder, and often featured rapping.

Influences of A Pioneering Band

That brings us back to how the idea of Body Count came about. Ice T and Ernie C rocked with Black Sabbath as well as the thrash metal and hardcore punk bands of the decade prior. Crossover thrash was also an influence and was ultimately the direction the band ran.

In 1992, there were hip-hop artists and groups that made darker music while still staying firmly in the realm of reality. The goal was to use the dark sound of rock they enjoyed and address issues Ice-T did in his hip-hop career.

On paper, it was simple. Bring the dark mood of Black Sabbath, discuss real life social issues as they relate to the artists, and make it loud, fast, and intense. Body Count nailed that on the debut album.

The Debut Album

What I liked most about the debut album is the experimentation from Ice-T. A lot of songs feature shouted spoken word from the lead singer. Then you get a track like “The Winner Loses” which is a dark song about a crack abuser.

A song like this one and “Cop Killer” have warnings and messages amongst the guitars and drums. That’s another thing; the other members were on top of it. Guitarists Ernie C and D-Roc the Executioner, Mooseman on bass, and drummer Beatmaster V all brought it on the debut.

When listening to rock for a while, it can become easy to overlook other members of a band unless they do an exceptional job. It’s also hard when you’re like me and put a greater emphasis on singing performance and lyrics.

The entire album is dark but not dark to the point of being bleak. It’s a mix of metal and hardcore punk on the sound side and the album structure from hip-hop with interludes being used regularly.

You know, the skit track that you might skip over on an album. Some of them are placed really well and sets up the next song. Allof the interludes were placed for a specific effect on the listener.

However, the overall flow could be impacted at times. You had some interludes that result in a tone shift between songs as was the case in listening to “KKK B****” then getting into “Voodoo” which is a horror-themed song about a run in with voodoo.

I definitely recommend this first album if you’ve wanted to hear Ice-T in a different but familiar environment. It’s also always good when an artist has love for a genre that isn’t what they’re known for, pursues a project, and have it end up successful.

Here’s hoping Denzel Curry takes note and pursue rock as well.

Staff Writer; James Swift, Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

In 1999, the band dropped its third album Post Orgasmic Chill. This is the album that turned me on to the band and prompted me look into the first two albums as well as Skin’s solo stuff.

An Intro to Skin

As I’ve mentioned multiple times: I’m big on singers and Skin has a powerful voice. Along with Cass on bass, Ace on the axe, and Mark Richardson on drums, Skin was a band to check out.

A lack of traction and radio play in the U.S meant that you had to really be an audiophile seeking new tunes if you were an American listener.

Born August 3, 1967 in the Brixton section of London she grew up in a “strict Jamaican” family. Her early brushes with music came via her grandfather’s basement nightclub.

While she was inspired by other music, originally, she wanted to go a more classical route and play the piano. This part of her history always interested me because that seems to be a key part in the roots of a lot of pioneering Black musicians in rock.

Many have classical or traditional training whether it was via music lessons or in the choir but the path they take is rock. That background adds to a different sound to whatever instrument.

In Skin’s case, it was these vocals that could sound soulful even when the song itself is less praise and celebratory and more rebellious and aggressive. Post-Skunk, she embarked on a solo career and also began DJing electric dance music (EDM).

Skin’s Voice

One thing to point out about Skunk Anansie is that in listening to their 90s trifecta of albums in 2021, you might realize that the overall sound is very 90s. It doesn’t sound dated but you know it came from the 90s.

There were several bands from that period that had a sound similar to Skunk’s. They might have taken the more aggressive parts or they took the stuff that leaned more towards mellow-range alternative rock.

Other bands did similar to Skunk Anansie and featured both approaches. One thing they couldn’t emulate was Skin’s voice. When you hear it, you know it belongs to a seasoned, talented singer with a set of lungs on them.

The closest comparison while still in the same genre would probably be Shirley Manson of Garbage—a band from the same period—only with a different vocal range.

Manson’s sit at contralto while Skin is in the soprano range. However, they were both able to deliver these voices that matched the direction of their respective bands at the time.

The Sound of Skunk Anansie

The best way to describe the band’s sound is that it’s a mix of everything. There’s some punk, hard rock, a drop of pop. I say “a drop” because there are some catchy songs in their catalog but a lot of their tunes have this energy and power to them.

You can attribute that to Skin’s ridiculously powerful vocals and strong instrumentals from the rest of the band. They just blend perfectly. You could actually take each member, put them in a different act, and get a different sound.

Whether it’s a good or bad sound depends on your personal tastes but you will get something different. On their 90s albums, you’re likely to hear some aggressive, intense songs alongside tunes that are soulful and more reflective but still have that same weight to them as the aggressive ones.

Again, Post Orgasmic Chill is probably the best example of this balance whereas the first three Skunk Anansie albums gave you a more aggressive mix from start to finish.

Staff Writer; James Swift, Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

However, the California offerings beside Hirax don’t get that much of a mention. I sum it up as not having that big of catalog or a strong output across decades. We’re looking at what I feel is the better introduction to Sound Barrier of its two full length releases: 1986’s Speed of Light.

Side A of Speed of Light

The first five tracks of Speed of Light make for an extremely strong A-side. It was as if Sound Barrier was expecting this album to be a breakout project for the band and they went all out on the four original tracks and the Thin Lizzy cover which closes out the side.

The opening/titular track kicks things off with some speed metal that wouldn’t be out of place on a U.S power metal release of this period such as Omen’s Battle Cry or Jag Panzer’s Ample Destruction. This song gives a sampling of what to expect for the rest of the album as for the band’s sound and approach.

My personal favorite from the A-side is the follow-up tune “Gladiator” which is right up my alley when comes to more sci-fi or fantasy-themed speed metal. If we’re not in the whipping through the wasteland in war wagons, I like my speed metal along these lines and could’ve taken an album of just this from Sound Barrier.

“On the Level (Head Banger)” and “What Price of Glory?” are both good tracks that keep the A-side just rocking along. They don’t slow down the album or give an early breather but the album as a whole isn’t the fastest thing. It’s very up tempo throughout but we’re talking about a pounder-heavy project. It’s not ripping through tracks like a Kreator or Sodom release.

Closing out the A-side is a clean cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Hollywood (Down on Yours Luck)” . Now, I enjoy the original from the 1981 release Renegade but I really dig the pace of this one. The OG track has a some grit to it, Sound Barrier’s sounds like it has better production for the time in addition to a little more heaviness. It’s similar to the Judas Priest treatment of Joan Baez’s “Diamonds and Rust” that I love.

Strongest Tracks: Speed of Light, Gladiator**, Hollywood (Down on Your Luck)*

B-Side

Kicking off the B-side is “Fight for Life!” which puts us back into something that could’ve been on an early Omen or Jag Panzer release. Or more specifically a number of U.S power metal albums that dropped in the early-mid 1980s. Along with speed metal and thrash, that genre is right up my alley, so this was very pleasing to the ear.

The heavyweight of this side is “Aim for the Top” which could’ve been the opening track. It has more speed to it than the previous track and would’ve been at home on the A-side. This is the 80s metal I love to hear and if Speed of Light had been along these lines from start to finish, I’d say this was an essential listen for the speed merchants.

“Hard As a Rock” is heavy track that straddles between heavier hard rock and a pretty run of the mill heavy metal pounder. It’s not the heaviest of pounders but it’s still a solid tune. It has the misfortune of coming after “Aim for the Top” and would’ve probably been better served as the closer to the stronger A-side.

Thinking about it, this track and the closer “On to the Next Adventure” are the best examples of the overall production of this album. It will remind you of a NWOBHM era album. Other tracks on the album had enough speed and energy to them that production took a bit of a back seat to my observations but these two tunes don’t have that same umph as most tracks here.

However, Sound Barrier didn’t slack on the album closer. It’s a good, heavy song with some get up and go that ends things on a strong but unfulfilling note as there was no next adventure for Sound Barrier. There wouldn’t be a single until 2017 then nothing else.

Following Speed of Light, Sound Barrier called it a day and some members moved on to other bands, notably projects associated with former short-time Sound Barrier guitarist Alex Masi.

Strongest Tracks: Fight for Life, Aim for the Top**, On to the Next Adventure

Strength of the Opener: Speed of Light

As mentioned above, the titular track “Speed of Light” is a strong opener for this album. It does the job of establishing either the pace or atmosphere of the album

Oddly enough, when I first gave this album a listen years ago, I remember not thinking much of the opener. Looking back, I was heavily into my new wave of thrash bag and I preferred blistering fast tracks start to finish. When I got into Manowar, Chastain, and Omen, a gained an appreciation for “Speed of Light”.

So, it’s a great opening track for the album. Alternative opening tracks include “Gladiator” from the A-side and “Aim for the Top” from the B-side.

Staff Writer; James “Metal” Swift Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

A-Side of Sacred Steel’s “Ritual Supremacy”

Getting right into it, the album starts off with a titular pounder. You’d think it set the tone for the album for wait until the B-side, folks. “Ritual Supremacy” has the speed and heaviness balance I prefer down pat and wouldn’t you know it: “Leather, Spikes, and Chains” follows up in the same fashion.

“Watcher Infernal” is slower but heavy and it breaks things up a bit. It’s not a slow as the following tune but it’s definitely a tempo shift. This isn’t unusual for Sacred Steel releases and depending on the album you might come across it sooner or later on the A-side.

What’s certain is that Sacred bloody Steel really runs with it when they’ve a slam fest of fast tracks going then you’ll might get a double dose of doom after.

They’re a versatile band and have something for the speed freaks like yours truly and the doom hounds. It might not be exactly what you want for one or both but it’s on the table should you choose to partake.

“A Shadow in the Bell Tower” is another of the dark, macabre pounders that Sacred Steel excels at. It rides similarly to the titular song and “Leather, Spikes, and Chains”. What I also enjoyed about this track is that it didn’t overstay its welcome. It’s one of the three short speedsters on Ritual Supremacy and it just works. I could’ve done with another minute but the length is perfect for a track of this pace.

The A side closer, “Entombed Within the Iron Walls of Dis” is a gloomy epic about the titular Dis from Dante’s Inferno. It jumps between the band’s aggressive speed and epic doom during the more melodic parts.

Vocalist Gerri P. Mutz has a lot of experience in speed, power and doom metal, so these kinds of songs aren’t exactly experimental for him or Sacred Steel. I’m going to put this in the “banger” column.

Strongest Tracks: Leather, Spikes, and Chains*, A Shadow in the Bell Tower*, Entombed Within the Iron Walls of Dis**

B-Side

“Bedlam Eternal” is similar to four of the A side tracks and I’m good with that. The pace of the album was awesome on that side—why not keep it up. I’m not a listener who gets speed weariness, it gets the thumbs up from me.

“Demon Witch Possession” is a pounder that could’ve started the B-side easily. As a matter of fact, it could’ve been on the A-side since it’s a little more aggressive than a track like “Watcher Infernal” or the titular track. It’s one of the 3-minute slammers on the album.

The epic for the B-side is “Covenant of Grace” which clocks in at just a little over 6-minutes. It’s different from “Entombed Within the Iron Walls of Dis”, in that it leans more into doom trappings pace-wise. The heaviness of this epic is played up more and that works to break up the pounders.

“Omen Rider” is one of the songs on Ritual Supremacy that is squarely an epic heavy metal song. It’s far from doom metal and rides with speed metal but it isn’t a pounder like the majority of the tracks here.

Don’t get me wrong, there is speed to be had here but it’s more in bursts. For the majority of the song, there’s a heavy, galloping pace—like a faster Iron Maiden.

The album closer “Let the Blackness Comes to Me” sees Sacred Steel return to its magical doom and gloom sorrow bag. Pace-wise, it’s a follow up to “Omen Rider”, it’s just sorrow-laden but not chock full of misery—that’s always a plus in my book for songs.

All that aside, it’s a good song and a great closer. Sure, I prefer speed but this is a good song and something different after banging my head hard for the first half.

Strongest Tracks: Demon Witch Possession*, Omen Rider

Strength of the Opener: Ritual Supremacy

Having listened to Sacred Steel since 2007 and having gone back to listen to older albums, there are things you come to expect from the band that they always hit each album. One of those is hot dropping with a double dose of speed to kick things off.

If there isn’t a double dose, the pounder tends to come after a heavy opener as was the case with 2004’s Iron Blessings and the opener-follow up combo of “Open Wide the Gates” and “Your Darkest Saviour”.

The opener here was could’ve opened or closed the album, it’s a flexible song that could’ve also been any place on the album. It did well as an opener, the majority of the songs were in a similar vein, and I’m pro-starting things off with a fast-paced banger. I wouldn’t give “banger” honors to “Ritual Supremacy” but it did a good job kicking things off.

As for other opening options, I’m going with “Leather, Spikes and Chains”, “Demon. Witch Possession”, or “A Shadow in the Bell Tower”. In that order.

The album as a whole is an extremely fun listen from start to finish. It reminded me of  a blend of their 2004 release Iron Blessings and 2013’s The Bloodshed Summoning, two albums I really enjoyed. I found this release to be a better follow up to The Bloodshed Summoning than Heavy Metal Sacrifice.

Staff Writer; James “Metal” Swift Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

We’ll have to dive into this project as there was no listed demos or other projects before the full-length debut for Three. It simply dropped in March 2023 via Black Mold Records, a label that has typically released sludge metal and doom metal projects.

Now, a label’s usual output doesn’t indicate that’s all you’re going to find. You could look through the catalog of a black metal label and find some old school metal in the mix of album releases by bands on the label.

In the case of Three, the release is in the slower waters of doom but with a late 70s-early 80s metal sound. Not so much Black Sabbath but more like a grimier Cirith Ungol with some healthy splashes of Brocas Helm thrown in.

A major contributing factor to that approach is the tandem of  multi-instrumentalist Corey Bing and guitarist/bass player Bahb Branca. The two are Ohio sludge scene veterans who have played in several acts together—many most with releases on Black Mold Records.

Opening Act of Three

Three has seven tracks across almost 31-minutes. The opener is “County Line”, a track that gives “controlled Brocas Helm” vibes. It’s not a rapid jaunt but it’s not s slog either, we’re talking about a pounder that gives the listener some idea of what to expect sonically. This song and “Red Dragon” have a kind of dungeon epicness to it—especially “Red Dragon”.

That track really piqued my interest in the rest of album because it reminds me of what I like to hear from epic heavy metal or U.S power metal: not too produced or clean but still epic in a Conan or Kull sense.

While “Red Dragon” really impressed, “For Your Love”, the second track on the album is the standout of the opening three songs. The longest track on the album, “For Your Love” is a slower-paced affair but it showed what this trio could do with a lengthier piece.

Strongest Tracks: For Your Love, Red Dragon

Second Act

The fourth  “Missing You” is somewhat similar to “For Your Love” only shorter and heavier. The doom is much thicker here. “Remember” is a longer rocker that could’ve been on Black Death. It still has that cavernous sound and slower-tempo while not being similar to other tunes on the album.

If you like your dark and slow romantic doom then “When Your Love Comes Down” might not be too up your alley. It’s notably faster than other tracks on Three and it gets the thumbs up from me. One thing I always liked about old school doom is that you could get a speeder on a slower-paced or mid-tempo release and it would stand out—sometimes as if it was the star of the show such as “Free Country” from Witchfinder General’s Death Penalty.

Closing out the album is “Mirror of Darkness”, a song that has a similar tempo to “When Your Love Comes Down” and gave me more of what I was seeking from this release lyrically: fantasy or dark fantasy themes. It’s a strong closer and could’ve been a stronger opener.

Strongest Tracks: Missing You, When Your Love Comes Down*, Mirror of Darkness*

Strength of the Opener: County Line

Opening tracks are very important since they can set the pace for the album or give the listener an idea of what they’re getting into. The faster and more bombastic, the stronger the opening, for me. In the case of Three, “County Line” is an opener: not the strongest but not the worst choice to kick things off.

However, tunes like “For Your Love”, “Red Dragon”, and the closer “Mirror of Darkness” are very strong picks to open the album just by being the standout tracks on this release.

Staff Writer; James “Metal” Swift Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

Smoulder and 80s Epic Heavy Metal

My first taste of this kind of epic heavy metal was in listening to Cirith Ungol and Manila Road—particularly their albums centered on Norse folklore and history. At the time, Manila Road hit while Cirith Ungol took a few years and listens to get into my regular 80s power metal rotation.

That isn’t to say Smoulder is purely rooted in doom metal. Their debut release Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring does lean towards the doom side on some tunes but there are a few speedsters in there. Smoulder will get the cement out if a tale calls for it on this album.

Before we get into the actual music here—I enjoy album cover art. The art for Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring and the follow up Violent Creed of Vengeance have some incredible, 70s and 80s fantasy novel-inspired covers. That will be a discussion for another piece.

Let’s dive into both sides of the album and see what tracks stood out and how strong the opener for this release is.

A-Side of “Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring”

Kicking things off is “Ilian of Garathorm” which is centered around the Michael Moorcock character of the same name—an Eternal Champion. Going with a Moorcock character or theme lets me know which end of the power metal spectrum we’ll be vacationing in on this album. We’re talking battles, figures with questionable motives, and exploring magic and mysticism. Lyrically, that’s all right up my alley!

As for the track itself, it’s good and has a nice, mid tempo with a good amount of heaviness. The leader singer gives me Geddy Lee doing power metal vibes but I don’t want to use Lee as an example or comparison because the singer’s vocals are familiar to a few other singers in the same genre.

Also, I’m no musician and I don’t have a background in production or music engineering but in this song, I noticed something: the bass guitar is important in rock music—especially in genres like doom metal but it doesn’t sound as robust as you’d think it would. Despite that, Smoulder managed to deliver a heavy album.

“The Sword Woman” was similar to the opener and pretty much kept the atmosphere of the album’s storytelling. Nowhere near a bad song but it didn’t really stand out . What did stand out was the A-side closer, “Bastard Steel”. It slams and is more my speed. Digging IT.

Strongest Tracks: Bastard Steel

B-Side

The opener for the B-side is “Voyage of the Sunchaser”. It  has a lengthy opening handled by the guitars and drums before we get vocals almost two minutes in. I’m not the biggest fan of songs that take a bit to get the entire band involved but I enjoyed this. Business picks up in the second half of the song where it just rides.

While the vocalist is there, this seemed more like a showcase for the rest of the band and it was a heavy, rocking one. Plus, a story is being told in each song so each one doesn’t need to just rip and ride throughout—mind you, that’s right up my alley—but certain songs require pacing and build to those moments as the story requires.

“Shadowy Sisterhood” is another tune that starts off slow, making use of the band’s mastery of heaviness for a story to set the tone. Midway, things pick up just a notch as the story goes into this ritual and I really enjoyed how the singer put some screeching emphasis on:

“COAT! THE DAGGER! MYSTIC! FLAMES!”

Love that. It was midway through the song but it was still just—chef kiss. Great sh**.

The album’s closer “Black God Kiss” is a bit of a giant at 9-minutes—which is fine for a band that mixes it up with doom metal and epic heavy metal and has songs that are more one or the other. As you may have gathered, slower tunes aren’t my cup of tea but so far Smoulder has impressed me and this is the best example of them mixing the two genres in this album.

It has the crawling, weighty tempo to lay the groundwork for another tale with a doom approach before sprinkling in some speed from epic heavy metal towards the end. It’s a great piece well worth the listen.  Actually, the whole album is worth a listen. There was only one song that I wasn’t all in on with the first listen—“Voyage or the Sunchaser”.

Strongest Tracks: Shadowy Sisterhood*, Black God Kiss

Strength of the Opener: “Ilian of Garathorm”

The opener was fine knowing what to expect heading in. I definitely would’ve picked “Bastard Steel” as the opener purely because the tempo is what I prefer but there was storytelling being done here. It wasn’t like an anthology of tales in album form, so the track listing is what it is.

Staff Writer; James “Metal” Swift Jr.

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.