Band:	Christian Mistress
Album:	Possession
Style:	Heavy metal
Release date:	February 2012

01. Over & Over
02. Pentagram And Crucifix
03. Conviction
04. The Way Beyond
05. Possession
06. Black To Gold
07. There Is Nowhere
08. Haunted Hunted
09. All Abandon

If anything, Christian Mistress have got class...A certain tastefulness. Throwback heavy metal like this usually comes in two forms; the first being the bands that know this revivalist shit is silly, and refuse to become anything more than a nostalgic joke. The second variety are the bands that take it too seriously, and refuse to admit good music has been made after 1989. Christian Mistress on the other hand are a band of very down-to-earth classic heavy metal sounds; you can tell they take their work seriously, yet aren't afraid to make it super fun.

If you don't like old school heavy metal revivalism, you can just leave now. No, Possession isn't an album of strictly cornered-in nostalgia, but it is obvious what kind of heavy metal fans they're targeting. Christian Mistress play a stripped-down NWOBHM type sound with a touch of that stoner metal edge. When you hit play on this album, two things come to mind; these riffs rule, and; this chicks voice is awesome. It's basically Barn Burner-meets-NWOBHM-esque riffs, with smoky vocals that will probably appeal to those who enjoy the likes of Farida Lemouchi of The Devil's Blood.

Unfortunately, as thoroughly enjoyable as this album is, it still comes across the same sort of problem that most bands of this variety face; the "I've heard this before" syndrome. It seems like it's a foregone conclusion that this problem is something inherent to all types throwback music. It's something you should come to expect. Granted, the riffs are solid enough to keep it flowing, but there are a small handful of moments where the only distinct part of the music is the vocals of Christine Davis, who is probably one of the most unique vocalists in metal today.

Christian Mistress are another band that doesn't really push any envelopes, but manage to make up for any lack of innovation with just pure, solid songwriting and performance.