Band:	Steeler (USA)
Album:	Steeler
Style:	Hard rock, Heavy metal
Release date:	1983
A review by:	Pierre Tombale

01. Cold Day In Hell
02. Backseat Driver
03. No Way Out
04. Hot On Your Heels
05. Abduction
06. On The Rox
07. Down To The Wire
08. Born To Rock
09. Serenade

Steeler a very short lived band that has not to be mixed up with the german Steeler among Axel Rudi Pell, but it has also been stepping stone for two men's careers. The first is the vocalist Ron Keel (later in 'Keel', 'Ron Keel's Fair Game', 'Project One' album with Saber Tiger and finally Iron Horse), the second one is the guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen (later in Alcatrazz, Yngwie Malmsteen).
Steeler provided early 80's classic american hard rock and metal. Edgy sound, flashy guitar playing and raw vocals, basically all you need for a successful band, so we may wonder what the reason was for the band to part ways. The albums provides a good mix of songs heavy and hard rock varied and balanced, or what you can call balanced on a 9 song record. Most remarkable is the intro on the song Hot On You Heels, which begins with a classic guitar solo turning into a long electric guitar solo, already showing Yngwie's guitar special technique.
There's one instrumental on the album, track number 5 Abduction that works as intro for the following song. The major flaw is probably the ending with Serenade as a bad choice for slow ending, it might have fitted better in the middle of the record, but I guess you shouldn't end a powerful record with a slow song.
I'm quite undecided to give this album a 7 or 8 so I will leave a 7.5, but as always you should judge on your own. If you're into 80's american hard rock this is definitely recommendable and the Keel album's can certainly count as successors to Steeler. So if you know Keel but haven't heard this one give it a try a 'prequel' if you want to say so.