Ded Engine - 1985 - Ded Engine

Enjoyable songs, once again the band sounding highly British heavy metal while being Americans. Not any especially great songs, so, 6/10.

Messiah Prophet - 1986 - Master Of The Metal

Another heavy metal / hard rock christian act. Fear No Evil is really strong song. Nothing amazing overall, not bad either tbh. 6,5/10

Lions Pride - 1984 - Breaking Out

Rather generic heavy metal from Belgium. There may not be much originality, but there is definitelly good songs. The vocalist has a great voice for an one album band singer. 8/10

Stormbringer - 1983 - Stormbringer

Quite early Swiss heavy metal with heavy 80s mainstream rock/AOR influence. Not exactly a bad sound, however the commercial approach makes this record sound like too many other bands from this same time period, the ballad type of songs sound pretty filler, and the drum sound is the bad 80s kind. The songs overall aren't especially impressive; Lady of the Sky is rather good faster piece and Fight With Me is quite easily the best song with little bit similar sound to 80s Iron Maiden. Definitely not one of the best albums the world has even seen, but surely pretty interesting for ań unknown record. 6,5/10.

Neon Cross - 1988 - Neon Cross

Good heavy metal band and album. The band clearly didn't become big, which is understandable by releasing something like this in 1988 as a debut probably didn't sell much. Also when the material isn't quite the best what was being released in late 80s it could be easy to overlook the records, that nowadays get a 2nd chance with the internet and youtube. It's worth checking out if we don't mind some repetitiveness in songwriting. 7,5/10

This has pretty much become the Jope thread

Dark Age - 1984 - Dark Age (EP)

Super awesome, low budged production, true sounding heavy metal and us power from USA. Originally this was a six song release, I have some bonus material one that actually goes to a full length release territory with a total of 11 songs! Really competent material from a band that had basically just started an year ago and this was their only release. Keep an eye (ear) on the guitar melodies. I'd rate this "only" as high as 9/10 because, well, it's not Omen's Battle Cry. Check it out, brothers

Vault - 1985 - Sword Of Steel (demo)

I dunno why these Dutch bands keep on delivering. Pure heavy metal, no big company bullshit, don't you miss these times, you guys? Just pure winning material here, whether it's a coincidence that there's three songs that are either exactly 4:20 in length or close to it, should it be taken as a message or just a coincidence anyone can choose for themselves. 8,5/10, great record, hard to believe it's a demo.

Immolation - Acts of God (2022)

These guys still have it... Killer riffs, killer solos, right choices for singles and this "Overtures of the Wicked" I digged it!! If you like death metal listen to it without second thought. 9/10

Vault - 1983 - No More Escape

Another great record from these Dutch guys. It has heavy NWoBHM influence and if I didn't know where they're from I would assume them as an UK band. Whereas this isn't exactly best album ever, it does have some really nice guitar melodies and solos, already in the first song I can hear some Iron Maiden-esque melodies going on. My favorite here is the last song, Too Young to Fight, Overall rather enjoyable album, one of the more melodic and less heavy heavy metals. 8/10

Attack - 1985 - Return of the Evil

This is really awesome, somehow gone unnoticed to me so far. Superb power / heavy metal that obviously didn't reach the mainstream audiences. The songwriting is not the most conventional approach, which is also why bands like this will never become very popular. With quick investigation I saw comparisons to Gamma Ray and Scanner, that are accurate, but still this sounds different and an unique band. 8,5/10; why isn't this band on the site?

I have not posted here a lot last, now I re start listen albums, after small hiatus. I do comment there in a albums sections, its better IMO, I will keep that way.

Steel Crown - 1986 - Sunset Warriors

Italians playing some proper heavy metal. Musically this sounds quite interesting; I dunno what to compare this to, it's really original approach with both melodies and heaviness. And listen to this drummer, you guys, he is totally destroying here with some top-notch playing. Dunno what song to prefer, there's good stuff all-round, but also none really stands out as a huge hit song. 8/10, totally recommended material.

edit: okay, the bassist is destroying quite a lot here too; this is something akin to old Helloween legendary Markus Grosskopf and Ingo Schwichtenberg duo; killer musicianship

Written by Bad English on 06.09.2022 at 11:21

I do comment there in a albums sections, its better IMO, I will keep that way.

All albums and bands aren't and won't be on site so I post here. I agree it's better to post on albums, I follow intuition of true steel on what shall be listened next so I might end up with a record that 99,99% hasn't heard about.

Gladiators - 1998 - Steel Vengeance

This is Running Wild's Black Hand Inn 2.0 with the exception that the vocalist is pretty much dogshit. I can't look past my fingers, I have to lower the score because this vocalist is kind of dumpstering the overall record back to the fucking stone age with his dumpster-tier delivery. 7,5/10, but imagine how good this would be if it had some proper singer?

Update: After some listens I guess I kind of acquired the taste for the vocalist. He is not bad, not on the whole record at least, he had some weak moments though. Really great an unknown record. 8,5/10.


Gladiators - 1999 - Bound To Steel

Another killer recording. The vocal performance is better on this record than on the debut. I have nothing bad to say about this material: plenty of good songs and the classic Accept musical direction is having a good result. 8,5/10

Every now and then I have to play this masterpiece. 13 minutes of batshit crazy BM. There certainly is some deranged aspect to the music, even if on paper it's just some blast-beat/tremolo riffs. But the atmosphere is instantly recognisable. Animal noises in the intro and vocals being mostly a mix of random shouts buried in the background, as if trying to inhale or suffocating, do give it a wtf vibe.

The last album I listened to was Breakdown of Sanity's Perception !

Absolutely Fantastic.

Listen to it on a home system with four JBL 10 stacks.

Absolutely mind-blowing.

https://youtu.be/GBBlAA7Eav0

Maniac - 1985 - Maniac

Is this "a technologically backwards Helloween" like UltraBoris claimed? Let's find out. It's not like that at all; this is classic heavy metal combined with some occasional speed metal, and it's rather good at it. Great debut record, but not quite as good as the sophomore. 8/10. Skip the last song though, that's pretty much a bore

Vladimir Pavelka - Spomienky (2021)

While the initial EP was perhaps more post-black oriented, this LP is rather post-rock with a few hints of BM in some blast-beat driven sections. And it achieves even better the nostalgia feeling of old, when things were simpler and nicer. Too much feels contained in 45 minutes. Like a rural-Slovakian God Is An Astronaut. Or a very soft Cult of Fire.
Being instrumental (minus a few ambient noises like cats purring and river flowing) is a big win, only suitable option for this kind of music. It's a trip.
Highlights include Detske Hry, Kostolnik and Túra Na Čachtický Hrad.

Omega - 1985 - The Prophet

Is this something that is worth to be commented upon on or not? Let's find out, you guys. It's quite proficient heavy and also melodic metal to be appreciated if you're looking this style of metal. you guys. Not a total masterpiece and the shortcomings might be heard on the vocals. My verdict is: really nice piece of heavy metal right here. Check this material out, you guys 8/10

Written by JOPE OF STEELE on 04.12.2022 at 00:56

Omega - 1985 - The Prophet

Yo, that's one great album indeed, a great mix of melodic heavy metal, NWOBHM, progressive rock and even biblical lyrics. Feels good to see that I'm not the only one who digs this obscure little gem.

Andzjel by Heiden

Cobra - 1985 - Warriors of the Dead

I was thinking that maybe I shouldn't post about albums that aren't especially good, and this album barely passes that requirement. The main problem about this release isn't the musicianship or the songwriting, but rather the bad audio quality which has kind of demo-ish feel to it. Sure, there's not much originality either, which is to be expected with the new wave of British sounding heavy metal bands. 6,5/10. So I wouldn't exactly recommend this album. The first song pretty summarizes what it is about.

Fisc - 1984 - Tracker

Good ole heavy metal from France. Huge early Iron Maiden influence seems to be present here on the guitars and it works, throw in some Accept style riffing too and some backing vocals and it works doubleplusgood. Yes, it's not the most original approach, but I can give this material high appreciation. 8/10. Why no this band on the site?

Caladan Brood - Echoes of Battle (2013)
epic atmospheric black metal

as my signature indicates, I have been working on a "one album wonders" ranking, of bands that only released a single album and then split.
I go back to this one often, ridiculously often.
I love Summoning, but this album comfortably surpasses even Stronghold (Which is outstanding)

Jackal (DK) - 1990 - Rise

One of the few Danish bands I listened to recently and I had hoped to write something better about it. Musically and vocally the band sounds very capable and the production couldn't be much better than this. The problem here is the glam influences in the lyrics and songwriting and the clichés that come with them. Still really good record and for a rather unknown band it's impossible to judge it too harshly. Maybe on the next record they will take a truer approach? 7,5/10

Jackal (DK) - 1993 - Vague Visions

This is the album I was hoping from the band as the debut, not that the debut was bad, but more like they figured out how they should sound like better on this album. Just a strong power/heavy from era when most bands who had played this style had quitted or started playing something else that would sell better. Check out at least the title track here, you guys. 8/10.

Jackal (DK) - 1994 - A Safe Look In Mirrors

Still good, this time more power metal than before. I think this is their weakest album, and there's not too many really good songs. The typical 90s groove guitar influences have noticeably creeped in. 7/10.

Since we have no that band here I post this here.
We have White Lion, but I did listen that White Lion

''One Of A Kind'' album is to bad, basically its sortha demo sounding, if studio work be done well, I would like iot more, otherwise no. To bad album to add that band because of that album.
Sorry

Cobra - 1987 - Back From The Dead

2nd attempt from the band. I don't think this is totally bad and not especially good either. The standard NWoBHM sound sounds kind of beating a dead horse here in 87 and when it was done better by so many bands before this, it has a half-skippable half-listenable quality. Same rating as the debut: 6,5/10