Most of these songs are from the band’s hot late-1970s run where Phil Lynott had become seasoned as a front man. The 80s weren’t the best time for the band as really drug abuse impacted their recording.

The Boys Are Back in Town (Jailbreak, 1976)

This is a track that everyone raised on radio has heard at least once. It was regularly in local commercials here in the Yellowhammer State along with Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright” and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama”.

Despite how overplayed the song is, it is the best introduction to the band’s music. The opening verse lets you know it’s just about bunch of hometown boys who returned to the city:

“Guess who just got back today?
Those wild-eyed boys that had been away
Haven’t changed, haven’t much to say
But man, I still think those cats are great”

Lynott’s vocals here are pretty much his baseline. This was a commercial hit that had a little of the trademark street-dangerous energy of Thin Lizzy but this song isn’t our next three tunes.

Johnny (Johnny the Fox, 1976)

One of my all-time favorite Thin Lizzy tunes: “Johnny” tells the story of a drug addict driven to the extremes of armed robbery. The titular Johnny finds himself surrounded by police only to meet his death in a dirty alley.

As an aside, I think this Johnny is the same one that was mentioned in “The Boys Are Back in Town” but not the titular Johnny the Fox.

I love storytelling songs and at just shy of four-and-a-half minutes, this is one of the best ones I’ve heard. Depending on the singer, this could’ve been just another song but Thin Lizzy’s performance made the song.

Hands down, “Johnny” is the best song on the album and one of Thin Lizzy’s best.

Opium Trail (Bad Reputation, 1977)

Lynott passed in January 1986 at the age 36 of sepsis. For years he had dealt with drugs and alcohol during a chaotic period for rock and roll. I view “Opium Trail” as something of a part one to our next entry as it’s about the highs and lows of drug use. We’re not at the end of a story like “Johnny”.

The song has a different vibe from a lot of Lizzy songs in that it’s funkier—much like the excellent “Waiting for An Alibi”. Most of Thin Lizzy’s songs are heavily rooted in blues. Actually, it’s one of those classic rock bands where you can still hear the blues roots in their music as it developed.

Compared to the rest of the songs on this list, only “Opium Trail” and the last entry give off a different vibe for Thin Lizzy.

Got to Give It Up (Black Rose: A Rock Legend, 1979)

This track our pretty much be in the middle if you were to put “Johnny” and “Opium Trail” in a sequence. “Got to Give It Up” is basically about an addict explaining why they need to quit drugs and telling the listener to tell their parents about how they’ve failed at trying to get off the stuff.

“Got to Give It Up” was definitely a personal song for Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy. Again, this was a period where Lynott and other musicians were heavily into drugs and the effects on recording were usually evident.

In Thin Lizzy’s case, the issues came through in the recording process even though the band was ridiculously consistent with releasing albums during their run. Lynott’s singing here is blues-y as usual but it’s the significance of the song that gives it that extra nudge to being an essential track.

Our next track has never been considered an essential track but it’s definitely a must hear Thin Lizzy song.

Cold Sweat (Thunder and Lightning, 1983)

As mentioned in other articles, Thunder and Lightning marked a stylistic change for the band. The albums that were released during the late 1970s had a little bit of metal in them. There was definitely an “edge” there that made their hard rock sound a little more aggressive and a little more dangerous than contemporaries like KISS.

To be a little more specific, Thin Lizzy was like an Irish version of Australia’s AC/DC but Thunder and Lightning was the band’s Painkiller. It’s a direction Thin Lizzy should’ve taken earlier as the band’s trademark dueling guitars were a perfect fit.

The awesome thing here is that everything around Lynott changed while he came in with his tried-and-true performance and it worked wonderfully. The guitars had much more bite to them on this album and “Cold Sweat” is the best example of that new direction.

While the album as a whole is both late for the band but just in time for that wave of hard rock and metal, this track would’ve been at home on an older album like Jailbreak, Black Rose: A Rock Legend, or Renegade.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Canada’s metal scene at this time always piqued my interest. While Razor’s releases really impressed me, it was the acts that had something “extra” to them that always had me returning and digging into their discographies.

Let’s look at five old school bands from the Great White North—a bit of a refresher or soft introduction, if you will.

Razor

Hailing from Ontario, Razor is one of the bands that were referenced in Darkthrone’s 2007 song “Canadian Metal”, this thrash reminds me of a Canadian Sodom in the speed and fury of their performances and the consistency in quality of their releases.

During its existence, the Canadian thrashers have had two vocalists of note in the late “Sheepdog” McLaren—known for some aggressive squeals—and Bob Reid, who added even more attitude to the vocal approach of the band.

Mind you, Razor has had more than two vocalists but these are the two who appear on their projects. Switching vocalists is always precarious work but when the albums dropped, they always had bangers regardless of the decade or period in metal.

Tracks to Try: Speed Merchants, Cross Me Fool, Road Gunner, Bad Vibrations

Exciter

Another Ontario act, Exciter is somewhat similar to Razor—or rather, Exciter was always recommended alongside Razor. If you’re unfamiliar with Exciter but you know of our next entry in Anvil, they’re a faster, more aggressive Anvil.

What always stood out about Exciter to me was that their drummer Dan Beehler does the vocals. Beehler the vocals until the early 1990s and it made some exciting songs with him shouting over the riffs and blasts of the band.

Look at that, a band living up to an on-the-nose band name! I dig it.

If you’re considering diving into Exciter, I recommend their first three albums; Heavy Metal Maniac, Violence & Force, and Long Live the Loud with Violence & Force being a treat.

Tracks to Try: Violence & Force, Pounding Metal, Cry of the Banshee, Iron Dogs

Anvil

Guess where these Canadian legends hail from—correct! Another Ontario band. If you guessed “Quebec” or “The Maritimes” then…maybe next time?

Anvil tends to play speed metal but you will get some mid-tempo pounders. That’s what the band always excelled at one their albums: pounders of varying tempos.

If the intensity of Razor or Exciter are a bit much and you just want to headbang or rock out: Anvil’s your band. I recommend UK speed metal legends Raven for a similar sound and tempo.

As for some recommend viewing check out their 2013 documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil.

Tracks to Try: Winged Assassins, Metal on Metal, Shadow Zone, Embalmer

Piledriver

Yeah, we’re not leaving Ontario. As a matter of fact, the original entry here was a British Columbia veteran in Thor. Yes, Jon-Mikl “Thunder on the Tundra” Thor.

There are two periods of the Piledriver band: OG ‘driver and The Exalted Piledriver of the 2000s. Well, technically there’s three as during the late 80s and early 90s, Piledriver performed as Dogs with Jobs.

DWJ had two good full length releases but they lacked that abrasive humor and catchiness of Piledriver. We’re mainly looking at the first iteration of ‘driver as those two albums Metal Inquisition and Stay Ugly—from 1984 and 1986, respectively—had bangers. Some of those bangers were pounders while others were rippers but Piledriver had them both.

Lyrically, ‘driver delivers what you’d hear from their thrash contemporaries with a good dose of dirty humor. Even some serious trappings of thrash pushed into comic book territory at times as with songs like “Sex with Satan” and “Alien R**e” from Metal Inquisition.

It’s a song that had me wondering “What’s even going on here?” As for the landmark Piledriver track: give the pounder “The Fire God” a whirl.

Tracks to Try: Metal Inquisition, Witch Hunt, Metal Death Racer, The Fire God

Voivod

Our fifth entry hails from—hey! Look at that, we got a Quebecoise band in Voivod. This was a band that evolved its sound over the decades while remaining consistent from project to project.

In the same way as changing vocalists can be dicey business, transitioning styles can be troublesome. However, Voivod did that well going from nasty, ripping thrash in their debut War and Pain to evolving their sound along progressive metal lines before the 80s ended.

Listening to those 80s and early 90s albums and hearing that rapid growth is very interesting. I’m a fan of the Motorhead-Sodom school of “If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It” but there’s also the Darkthrone school of “Explore and change over time”. Have eras to your sound, don’t be afraid to revisit the dark arts every now and then.

Voivod is a great example of that.

Tracks to Try: Iron Gang, War and Pain, Slaughter in a Grave, Psychic Vacuum

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.

Chad Brown of Engage

Engage was a Virginia-based power metal band that played speedy pounders. The combination of fast-tempo, explosive playing powerful, operatic vocals were the key for power metal of the European variety. Bands such as Blind Guardian, Helloween, and Gamma Ray had major roles to play in this direction with BG and Helloween coming from speed metal origins.

Engage’s direction on their 2005 demo was the fastest of Blind Guardian and Hammerfall with some great vocals. As mentioned previously, I’m a big vocals fan and Chad Brown’s performance on the demo was great. I was already sold on the band from the blistering tempo but Brown’s sing and piercing screech sealed the deal.

I first heard Engage on a Pandora power metal stream and looked them up on metal blogs. This would’ve been 2008, a year after their second demo and last release Don’t Look Back. That’s where the band ends, no word of what other bands the members went to or the different musical directions taken afterwards.

I always felt that was a shame because Engage was everything I like and want in a band down to the screeching vocals with this kind of lyrical content.

Songs to Check Out: Pain and Glory, Conqueror

Sergeant Saitan of Deathhammer

Next, we head to Norway for another favorite vocalist of that period, Sergeant Saitan of Deathhammer. This band formed a little after Engage but is still going strong today with banger after banger of albums filled to the brim with rippers.

Saitan’s vocals are pretty much what I’m usually looking for with thrash: dirty, growl-riddled with shrieks that can come out of nowhere. With the instrument barrage of band member Sadomancer (who also does backing vocals), Sergeant Saitan’s vocals really pop during a rapid, rowdy ripper.

Songs to Check Out: Fullmoon Sorcery, Rot Shreds

Jason Conde-Houston of Skelator

The Seattle-based metal band Skelator is a favorite of mine from the early 2000s. I first came across them on a metal blog and looked into them purely on the album cover of their 2008 full-length debut Give Me Metal or Give Me Death. I was not disappointed at all. There’s a lot of speed metal in Skelator to go along with their heavier power metal approach.

Hell, even the more mid-tempo (kind of rare for Skelator) tracks have a tendency to explode into a fast-paced pounder. It’s what they’ve excelled at since 1998 and the vocals leading the charge belong to Jason Conde-Houston.

Now, I’ve gone into the band’s style and vocalist in a review of their demo. The band has only gotten better from that release with experience, better production and expanding their topics lyrically. Sure you can still hear swords, sorcery, and magical evils but you’re also getting love for anime, video games, and metal.

And still you have JCH either speeding through verses frantically or growling through them yet always firing off his screeching wail like some fusion between Rob Halford and  80s Mark “The Shark” Shelton.

Again, this is right up my alley. It’s the same approach as Engage only the band stayed the course and improved with time and lineup changes.

Songs to Check Out: Raging Demon, Agents of Power

Adam G. Warrior of Dismantle

I’ve definitely discussed California’s Dismantle and their 2009 debut Satanic Force. It’s in my top five new wave of thrash debuts because of how the raw energy the entire album had. It wasn’t the most musically unique of that wave nor would I say it was the best but few speed metal and thrash bands from that period match that level of energy on a debut.

I’d put Power from Hell’s The True Metal, Evil in the Night by Merciless Death, and Apokalyptic Raids’ Only Death is Real in that same realm of roughness mixed with tons of energy in playing and singing. Sure, there were bands with higher technical skill and better control over their voice but that unchained approach was what made Satanic Force such an incredible debut.

A major factor of that was the performance of Adam G. Warrior smashing the gas on his voice on each song as he belted out his shriek. There were some songs where you’d get it multiple times and it fit whatever track the album had reached each time.

His vocal approach was more muted in the follow-up release Enter the Forbidden and while Satanic Force isn’t on Apple Music, you can check it out on YouTube.

Songs to Check Out: Satanic Force, Vile Spell

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 Gatekeeper—one of the more modern epic heavy metal acts—that we’ll be focusing on here. Originating in Alberta, Gatekeeper plays a mix of tempos depending on story or lore in that song. I actually enjoyed the tempo changes and I’m normally a “the fast option only” listener.

The guitar work and percussion on the debut give both urgency and weight to the songs when you’re just letting the album rock. The singer on this release—Jean-Pierre Abboud—and the lyrical content contributed heavily to that.

This debut has enough going for it to pull a full listen on the first spin. Normally, I’ll break an album up in two parts depending on when I dive into it but this has me on board start to finish. I will say the band’s lyrical Let’s check out the band’s debut from 2018: East of Sun.

A-Side of East of Sun

If there’s always one thing that will keep listening to an album: a speedster opening track. Gatekeeper comes in hot and heavy with “Blade of Cimmeria”. It’s a dope track on its own and I like it as an opener but I will say there are better options—one happens to be on this side of the album.

A song of note is “North Wolves”, it’s not exactly one of the two bangers on this side but it is the kind of track I enjoy listening to on a power metal album. It flows well into another banger in “Warrior Without Fear” and comes off as something as the lead-in instead of its own song. There’s nothing wrong with that role for a song—except when it’s not the intent. Without being sandwiched between the two bangers, it would be probably stand out more but it’s a fine song regardless.

The A-side closer is “Ninefold Muse” and it’s another tune I’ll say was fine and does its job of wrapping up this half. It doesn’t have the same oomph to it that “Blade of Cimmeria” had but it’s a fine song on its own.

Strongest Tracks: Blade of Cimmeria*, Warrior Without Fear

B-Side

“Bell of Tarantia” isn’t a speedster but it has some gas in the tank to ride for 6-minutes with mid temp that builds into a gallop in the second half. I dig it. Also, it sounds similar to Longing’s Past, a U.S epic heavy metal band from the 90s that leaned more melodic than aggressive.

While “Bell of Tarantia” is heavily melodic, the titular track mixes both. If the album was all this, I definitely wouldn’t mind. In fantasy terms, it mixes the epicness of high fantasy with the roughness and intensity of sword and sorcery.

In other words, it’s a great mix.

In albums of this genre, I’m looking for that pumping, anthemic song. It doesn’t have to be “Deadly Sinners”, “Hail and Kill” or “Battle Hymns” but it is one of the album’s battle hymns. In this project’s case “Swan Sword Saga” fits the bill but so does the album closer “Oncoming Ice”.

The closer is a very heavy, epic song that makes use of Abboud’s vocal flexibility well. I’ve been mostly focused on the vocals in this review but the guitar work of Blackwell, Kroecher, and bass player Messier are on point. They have a major role in setting the atmosphere and on East of Sun and they do their thing extremely well.

Overall, I feel that the B-side or second half of this project was more enjoyable but the whole project is worth a listen. I had to check elsewhere for the cover song bonuses since Apple Music doesn’t include them.

Gatekeeper covering Omen’s “Death Rider” was great. I love some Omen and bands covering their music or Jag Panzer’s always pique my interest. The cover of Savatage’s “Hall of the Mountain King” was fine but I think they would’ve slammed on a “Queen of the Reich” cover from Queensrÿche.

Strongest Tracks: Bell of Tarantia*, Swan Sword Saga*, Oncoming Ice

Strength of the Opener: “Blade of Cimmeria”

The opening track “Blade of Cimmeria” was pretty strong in that it established what kind of tales were getting in this album. It also gave a taste of what to expect throughout. However, I would’ve loved “Warrior Without Fear” or “East of Sun” as the opening tracks. “Blade of Cimmeria” is a tune that could hold its own on either side of the album and in any position.

“Warrior Without Fear” and “East of Sun” just seemed to embody the album as a whole better with both being in line with the tempo of the project overall. On that note, the immediate ear-catcher took the opening honors.

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.

Kiss and 90s Promotion

The poorly executed crossover of Kiss and pro-wrestling will be looked at later but we’re looking at the album that followed the comic: Psycho Circus. Kiss fans would be familiar with the comic and action figures handled by Image Comics and Todd McFarlane. It was when I noticed the different personas of the band.

It was mentioned in the comics that they were one of the most well-known bands in the world—it probably said “the universe”. Before that, I picked up the comic because I saw it mentioned in an ad in Curse of Spawn comic for the Kiss action figures. I figured they were more in Image Comics’ roster of dark, grittier superheroes.

While Kiss was always good at promoting themselves—or rather they’ve always had a good PR team—it was interesting to look back on how they promoted the band throughout the decades. There were no Kiss cartoons in the 90s, you could see them in one of those episodes of Scooby Doo with celebrities in them, and there were bands more relevant to the times around.

However, they managed to snatch up some gold records in another decade. Let’s take a look at Psycho Circus and see what were the bangers.

A Strong Opener and a Few Kiss Ballads

The opening track often sets the pace for the album but on occasion, it can surprise you and turn out to be unlike anything else on the album. In the case of Psycho Circus, the titular track kind of sets the pace. There’s a mix of tempos and sounds on this release but you have some that follow along the same lines as the opener.

Actually, there are several on the album and I wish the entire album was just that. Simply a bunch of hard rockers and heavy songs. Of course, Kiss can craft a good ballad and have several in their arsenal. We’ll get into the bangers but we’ve got to discuss these ballads—or ballad-adjacent songs.

“We Are One” and “I Finally Found My Way” are slower tunes with good placement on the album. I’m not a fan of ballads or most slow tunes but they’re not in odd places in the track list or even worse: stacked. If they had both followed “Within” on the A-side, I probably would’ve been turned off on the album. No one wants to will themselves through an album to give it a fair listen.

Then again, if those three songs all followed each other, the rest of the album would’ve been a fun ride!

Psycho Circus: The Bangers

I couldn’t tell you how I interpreted Psycho Circus the first time I heard it. Now, the title song I always enjoyed. I remember the video being pretty cool at the time and listening to the opener—the first banger of the album—really took me back. Again, I wanted the entire album to be this.

Having gave it a listen decades later and I found it to be an enjoyable album for the most part. “I Pledge Alliance to Rock & Roll” is a fun rock semi-anthem. I say “semi-anthem” in that it’s supposed to be an anthem track but lacks the punch of “You Wanted the Best” and “Raise Your Glasses”.

The other bangers vary between your heavy tracks like “Into the Void” and “Journey of 1,000 Years” and your hard rockers of “Psycho Circus”, “I Pledge Alliance to Rock & Roll”, “You Wanted the Best”, and “Dreamin’”. I’d say Kiss could’ve done two albums in both musical directions and it would’ve been a blast. I can’t say it’s the best Kiss album or the greatest Kiss album but it is the Kiss album I enjoyed throughout the most. If you’ve heard the band or their hard rock contemporaries, you’ve heard a lot of Psycho Circus but it’s all put together very well 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.

Lizzy Borden – Visual Lies (1987)

We checked out Lizzy Borden’s debut album Love You to Pieces in a “Greatest Album Debuts”. The L.A act kept things going with Menace to Society which was as fast as they debut but a little more aggressive without going into thrash territory. Visual Lies continues where Menace to Society left off but mixes in some stuff you’d hear in glam metal or L.A heavy metal.

“Oh, like Nitro?!” No, not at all like Nitro. I’d say more like our next entry only faster and more polished.

The Bangers: Me Against the World*, Den of Thieves***, Visual Lies*, Voyuer**

Savage Grace – Master of Disguise (1985)

I don’t know if it’s the production, the lyrical content included or both but Master of Disguise is some speedy U.S power metal with some bite and their debut is a mixture of sinister tales, rebellion, lust, and a little fantasy just because. At a little over 35-minutes and with nine tracks, you’re in for a brisk listen featuring some anthems.

Now, let’s check out a monster of U.S power metal that I feel should get more recognition.

The Bangers: Bound to Be Free, Fear My Way*, Sins of the Damned, Master of Disguise***, Sons of Iniquity*

Omen – Battle Cry (1984)

If you want power metal with no fluff or whimsy and doesn’t keep the foot on the gas all the time: Omen might be for you. They’re to epic metal what Rage is to power metal: a talented, veteran band that did and still produces good music—but there are other bands better associated with the genre. As for this release, it’s heavy and filled more with tales of battles, wars, and raids than epic quests to collect something or defeat a Big Bad.

As for Omen’s ties to Savage Grace, former SG guitarist Kenny Powell formed Omen after leaving in 1983. What I’d say really ties this album together is the late J.D Kimball’s gravely vocals.

This will definitely be an album we’ll explore in the new year.

The Bangers: Death Rider***, The Axeman*, Dragon’s Breath**, Be My Wench**, Prince of Darkness*

Manila Road – Voyager (2008)

This is a bit of a cheat entry because I was trying to keep it in the 1980s with older bands and albums but I guess the rules no longer apply. Yes, the self-imposed rules of the list. Anyway, Manila Road was a Kansas band that started in the late 1970s playing hard rock and heavy metal. Their 1980 debut shows they had a focus more along traditional heavy metal but with each release they tried a little something new: faster songs, longer tracks, slower tales, darker stories.

Manila Road had gone through epic fantasy, horror, serial killers, mysteries, and with Voyager they were on their Viking and Scandinavian folklore sh**. They kept their heaviness but better production and song writing meant they came up with something that could be built upon.

Voyager has nine tracks across over an hour. I also recommend the album before it Gates of Fire.

The Bangers: Frost and Fire, Tree of Life, Blood Eagle***, Eye of the Storm

Medieval Steel – The Dungeon Tapes (2008)

Another cheat entry, this isn’t a full length release but a compilation of demos and singles. Medieval Steel is a band from Memphis that formed in the early 1980s. They wouldn’t put out a full-length until 2013 with Dark Castle. The tunes on this release definitely should’ve been re-recorded as an album because they were good when they were originally released!

The Bangers: Eyes of Fire*, To Kill a King**, Battles Beyond the Stars***, Medieval Steel***

What are some albums from epic metal or U.S power metal bands you recommend? Let us know in the comments!

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.