At the  time of the band ‘s formation they weren’t playing thrash metal but by the time of the 1985 demo Black Metal (featuring a cover of Venom’s landmark song of the same name), the band was delivering speedy metal.

The demo dropped just a bit after the debut full-length albums from Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer and same year that Exodus released their debut album. However, a full-length album wouldn’t come about until 1990. What we’re looking at is the 1998 album To Kill Evil, a reissue of the 1990 self-titled debut sans the four extra tracks.

A-Side of To Kill Evil

Off the bat, the first two tracks slap. They slap hard. The titular track sets up what you think the entire album will be with a strong, fast-paced pounder led by Coffey’s vocal work but then you get the awesome display of speed and vocal ability that is the Starks-led “Time Is at Hand”. Remember the opening as we go through the album.

I’m a big fan of vocalists such Sergeant Salsten from Deathhammer and Stace “Sheepdog” McLaren formerly of Razor where both of their voices have bite and grit to them but they can also fling their voices into piercing, screams. I’ll always mark out for a piercing scream in a song and “Time Is at Hand” has the right amount.

“Pain” slows things down early into the album. It’s one of three slower or mid-tempo tunes on the album but it’s solid. Things pick up a bit with “The Great Controversy” which starts on the slow side but heads into speed metal territory in the second half of the song. The vocals here are more spoken word which works well here.

Stone Vengeance picks things up again with “The Persecution” which is a bit thrashy at points but pretty funky and speedy throughout. I dig this song a bit for the bass and drum heaviness here. We’ll run with this track as the A-side closer since this reissue was on CD and featured a reshuffling of tracks.

Strongest Tracks: To Kill Evil, Time Is at Hand**

B-side

The B-side opens with a short instrumental which is almost inaudible on the iTunes version of the album. It’s an acoustic piece. Following that is “Malice” which returns to the thrash approach of the first two tracks of the album.

I wouldn’t say it’s stronger than “Time Is at Hand” but it has more power and punch than the title track which opens the album. Coffey continues the vocal duties here and a song like this is what I lean into more to appreciate his vocal ability and delivery.

Now, I love my faster tracks but “Higher Now” is a pretty good, slower-tempo piece. Beyond the faster stuff which Coffey’s voice is suited for, something like this works. Following that is another instrumental which is more audible than the first (“Bullfight”). It sets up for what is technically the album’s closer of the original tracks: “Long Live Stone Vengeance”.

Coffey’s vocal performance here features moments where he pops a scream and I could’ve used more of those here. The band as a whole delivers a speedy ride that is similar to very early thrash where it isn’t pure power, speed and aggression. Again, see the first two tracks on the album.

Strongest Tracks: Malice, Higher Now, Long Live Stone Vengeance

Best of the Bonuses

Looking at the four bonus or additional tracks, you have a good cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” and “The Pill” as the standouts. The cover has Coffey more in his bluesy hard rock bag. He was also in that bag for the song “Chase” which is worth a listen as well. For me, it had the relatability of hip-hop or soul in rock trappings was thumbs up from me.

“The Pill” does the same but in thrashier trappings. It’s as if Rick James did speed metal or thrash without ending up at groove metal or funk metal. Stone Vengeance took Black musical storytelling throughout and kept it well within a speedy approach.

The Best: Foxy Lady, The Pill*

Strength of the Opener: To Kill Evil

With there being a few style and tempo changes throughout the album, the opener did it’s job in getting me interested in checking out the rest of the project. It lets you know that there will be some thrashing going on but it doesn’t let you know about the entire musical journey.

Well, to a degree. You kind of get an idea of the lyrical approach or themed covered here with songs about belief and basically spirituality but it isn’t antagonistic. Had the album been entirely thrash along the lines of the strongest songs on the album with some venturing into “Chase” territory, I’d say it’s a strong opener. However, it’s more of a strong song on it’s own and a solid opener.

“Time Is at Hand” would be the best replacement opener while “Malice” would do alright in that slot. Overall, this was an enjoyable listen and I’m looking for to checking out the available 2000 release The Angel.

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.

Who is Max Georgiev?

Hailing from Quebec, Max Georgiev is a veteran guitarist who can also get the job done on bass and as a background singer. I’m most familiar with Georgiev’s work in the band Falling in Reverse where he had a lengthy run with the act from 2018 until 2024.

However, checking out his musical career prior to Falling in Review shows work with talent or working on a projects involving noted musicians and bands such as Firewind leader and guitarist Gus G (formerly of Ozzy Osbourne) and Arch Enemy’s former lead singer and fellow Canadian rocker Alissa White-Gluz. His guitar work is rooted heavily in the hard and heavy end of rock.

Joining Georgiev on this release are Jaycee Clark (vocals, Blank Era), Johnny Mele (drums, formerly of Falling in Reverse), and Gabriel Connor (bass). Production is handled by Kile Odell, who has also worked with Papa Roach and recently Blank Era.

Since this is our first EP review, we’ll go into each track on this release and see what he’s got going on here.

Believe In You EP

We’ve got a nice, tidy three tracks on this EP with the titular track “Believe In You” kicking things off.

“Believe in You”

Now, I’d actually like to do the title track last because it also features a well-shot music video showcasing Georgiev and his new act. However, it’s the first track you’ll  hear and it’s definitely the strongest track of the three.

“Believe In You” has the band’s strings and percussion firing on all cylinders. Of course, Max Georgiev has to deliver the goods performance-wise since it’s his band but there are no slouches here. Vocalist Jaycee Clark really impressed me on this track and I had to check out her work with her own act Blank Era.

Her singing along with the energetic performance of the band on this track really pushed this track to being the best on the EP. It took perhaps three listens of the EP (again, three tracks so it wasn’t a trek or anything) for me to decide between “Believe In You” and the third track, “Once Called Home”.

“Untouchable”

The second track here is “Untouchable”, a solid track that is something of a blend between the two songs it’s sandwiched between. This is a track that I could easily see in one of the WWE’s premium live events’ highlight packages. It has that energy that the company likes for some of its packages where they only play a portion of the song before promoting it or as a the promotional theme while reading the card. The same goes for the title track.

Overall, it’s not a track to skip but you have a banger before it and a good album closer. One thing it has over the next entry is the energy and tempo. It simply goes harder and that’s right up my alley.

“Once Called Home”

For a potential full-length release, “Once Called Home” would be a very strong track in that position. It doesn’t go as hard as the previous two tracks but it could definitely close out an album or at least kick off the second half of an album.

Clark gives a good vocal performance here and we get some spotlighting guitar action from Max Georgiev. However, it could’ve used a little more of Max’s guitar magic in it. Then again, it would have to be a longer song for that and either “Believe In You” or “Unbreakable” would make better use of an extra minute or so.

In short, it’s another good pick for this single.

Verdict

When you have a single that features different songs and not multiple versions of one song, you’re expecting the artist or band to put their best foot forward. Or least deliver a good showing.

Georgiev and the gang do just that with Believe In You. The songs might sound like something you’ve heard before or a combination of songs and bands you’ve heard already but the guitars, drums, and the singer all deliver something that makes me anticipate a full release.

I actually want to know what else Max and the crew have cooking, so the EP did its job. Now, I could’ve done with some extra solos from Max on the first and third songs, I really liked what I was hearing. If not extra solos, lengthier ones. Clark’s singing wowed me enough to check out her previous projects, both Connor and Mele hold it down on bass and drums respectively.

All around, this single was worth a listen and a couple replays until Georgiev drops some new stuff. I’m giving “Strongest Track” honors to “Believe In You”. It’s a banger and has both album-carrying power and soundtrack potential.

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.

Cristobal Gallardo – A Puro Corazón (Pure Heart)

However, Gallarado also has a solo project where the focus is on more technical, soulful playing. We’ll be looking at his 2024 release A puro corazón (Pure Heart). It’s a brief listen at just over 31 minutes and packing seven tracks.

Let’s dive in! Also, expect a look at their This New World… EP soon. As always, “*” next to a song is totally worth playing while “**” is one that was added to a playlist.

Side A

Track lists for A puro corazón don’t include sides since it’s a digital release but we’ll make the first four tracks side A, just to keep with our usual reviewing format.

Kicking things off is “Maldita Tentación (Damn Temptation)”. It’s a strong, soulful opener that sets the pace for the album and you definitely want that for an album. That is unless the opener is more of an atmosphere-setting intro.

In the case of “Maldita Tentación” gets right into it but the song doesn’t slam you into the album. It’s not an aggressive piece, it’s soulful piece with varying tempos. Expect this approach for most the album and it actually works. “María Magdalena” is a solid follow-up to the opener and keeps the pace established going.

Things get a shot in the arm with “Carpe Diem” or rather it was more of my pace. I wouldn’t say it was blistering fast. I’ve heard Gallardo rip with Headfist and it’s a mixture of speed and aggression. This track is the other star of the A-side and showcases a mixture of speed and power. He’s not ripping here, he’s shredding.

All that said, the ending was an interesting choice of an edit. This track also feels shorter than it actually is. It clocks in at a little over four minutes but felt like two or three minutes. On my initial listen it actually seemed to bleed into the next track and I didn’t pick up the ending.

Closing out side A is my pick for the best track of the side and the album: “My All”. It’s a cover of one of Mariah Carey’s classic songs from the 1997 album Butterfly. Some track listings don’t include that this is a cover in the title but the song title looked familiar. While listening to it, I instantly picked up the lyrics from Carey’s song and was surprised that it was a cover!

It definitely got a few replays and ended up in a playlist or two. Check this song out if you dig neoclassical metal or a shred cover of songs from another genre. It’s damn good.

Strongest Tracks: Carpe Diem, My All**

Side B

Our fifth track and B-side opener is “A puro corazón (Pure Heart)”. It’s another track that showcases Cristobal Gallarado’s technique very well but it doesn’t exactly have that energy you’ll hear from him in “Carpe Diem” on this album and comes after that performance of “My All”. It’s closer to the opener, “Maldita Tentación” and “María Magdalena”.

Next, we have “Toma Tiempo Sanar… (It Takes Time…)”. This track starts out similar to “A puro corazón” in tempo but business picks up in the second half of the song before closing out strong in the last minute. I’m a track placement nerd and this is definitely a track that could I see earlier in the album. It has heart to it and a bit of the energy that I like.

“Por ti le rezo” or “For you I pray” is a strong closer that starts as a soulful piece but at two minute and forty seconds grows into a riding pounder which surprised me. That ending run of the song is also why I remembered the exact time. I had to run it back to see.

I was expecting a somber ending to A puro corazón but I was pleasantly surprised here. Could it have been placed anywhere else on the album? Probably if you swapped its placement on the album with “My All”, the only other track that could’ve ended this project on a high note.

Strongest Tracks: Por ti le rezo*

Verdict

Neoclassical metal and shred are always harder for me to review when there isn’t a vocalist on the project. In the case of older Yngwei J. Malmsteen albums, he often had a strong vocalist who got some of the spotlight. This is similar to a modern Yngwei album where the spotlight is all on the axeman and their guitar gymnastics.

That aside, this was a fun listen. You have a young guitarist who is dedicated to his craft balancing two projects and this album showcases a serious, passionate approach to playing. Cristobal Gallardo having a cover of a Mimi song was the surprise here for me. The entire project had a lot to dig into if you enjoy hearing players take the starring role as opposed to playing an important role in the band or within other musicians’ focus for an act.

Strongest Track of the Album: My All (Mariah Carey cover)

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.

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.

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.

And rightfully so, Glover is a singer with range and presence. Both are definite thumbs up in my book. Let’s look at another pioneer in Cleveland, Ohio’s Siki Spacek.

Black Death and Early Ohio Metal

The lead singer and guitarist for pioneering Black heavy metal band Black Death, Siki embodies everything I like about open musicians.

Just being open to different genres or bringing in elements from different eras. Black Death was the start and it came out at a time when the Ohio metal scene was getting its first bands such as Destructor, Chastain, and Axe Master. Bands were exploring both heavier and faster sounds and while many didn’t continue or release a full length, some demos show that “This band was on the right track.”

Black Death was no different in their demos with the second and third having songs worthy of full length placement.

What I dig about Siki’s vocals on this release is that there’s a lot of grit and soul to it. It gives some tracks such as “When Tears Run Red” and “Streetwalker” a different air than pounders like “Scream of the Iron Messiah” and “Here Comes the Wrecking Crew”.

Now, I’ve been listening to interviews to fill myself in about what happened with the band and Siki Spacek post-debut album. A lot occurred in metal worldwide after 1984—in Ohio metal alone—where’s like “Siki’s vocals would fit this.” I have the same thoughts about contemporary Guy Speranza of Riot. It’s a very “what if” scenario where you can plug an artist into different genres, bands, and on particular albums.

For those with long memories, think about that period where Rob Halford being interested in doing black metal was of note.

The Iron Messiah Returns

Decades later and with the band Black Death Resurrected, and Siki delivered The Return of the Iron Messiah. It fit some of what I figured Black Death would’ve grown into in a follow-up—only with modern production and a lot more experience playing. Similar to going through UK thrash veterans Onslaught’s discography—where the band got faster and even more aggressive with modern releases—Black Death Resurrected was a faster, darker BD.

The approach of this band was rooted in the original but it sounded how the band should sound almost 30 years later. That is, if we had 30 years of releases in that time to see the band grow. It was a familiar sound with new energy that delivered a new release filled with pounders.

With that said, The Return of the Iron Messiah dropped in late 2015. Where did Siki ply his vocal talents after?

Three

I touched on the Ohio metal scene of the 80s, the 21^st century of the scene saw a faster breed of bands such as Midnight and Vindicator. It also saw some solo projects and projects from OG acts such as Winters Bane, headed up by vocal veteran Tim “Ripper” Owens.

Eight years after The Return of the Iron Messiah, Siki Spacek returned with his vocal and guitar stylings. With the power trio Three, you see Siki in the mix of a darker, slower metal. There’s a 70s-early 80s doom sound with a lot of cavernousness, it also sounds like straight up late 70s metal from the period at the same time. It’s a change in pace if you’re familiar with some of the stuff Siki’s voice has been involved in but his voice fits this sound.

Ultimately, Spacek is a singer I wish there was a lot more from, heavy metal, doom, speed metal, blues, funk—straight up hard rock—the guy’s voice could fit in with a couple different genres and add an old school “street metal” sound.

If you’re familiar with the work of Siki Spacek, what are some of your favorite releases? Also, if you’re into the Ohio metal scene, share some of your favorite bands.

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.

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.

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.