01. Kill Em All
02. Gods Of Metal
03. No Life Till Metal
04. Winterwind
05. Awake
06. Hate, Disgust And Power
07. Crystal Night
08. Battleground
09. Everything Goes Up In Smoke

Black Rain is a new young French band that decided to play classic US' Heavy Metal with some touches of Hard Rock and believe me they are clearly influenced by American music? Their first album, simply called "Black Rain", is out this year on the French label Thundering Records and if you like classic US Heavy and if you're not afraid of big clichés maybe that you'll like this release.

Produced by Johnny Rockett and mastered at Finnvox Studio by Minerva Pappi, this album really sounds like a big production. Really, it's surprising to have such quality on a first release and well, if you like US Metal and US Hard Rock bands of the 80s - 90s, it's possible that you'll find something for you in the release. The musicians are good, and their songs are not so bad, excepted that they're a bit full of all the clichés of the genre?

My principal problem with this album is that it just sounds like a copy, you'll not be able to find anything new here but also, it's just full of clichés (and I don't even ask you to have a look in the booklet)?. You'll be able to find some "rock n roll" song, some "speed metal" ones and the mellowing ballads. Plus, the lyrics are simple, in the pure spirit of the Glam bands that we were able to find in the 80s - 90s? Some people will clearly like this US "rock n roll" spirit, some others will simply find it extremely boring? It's a matter of taste really?

All in all, "Black Rain" is not a bad album but I just didn't find anything new in this release. The songs are ok, the production and the musicians are good but it's classic as hell and totally conventional. Though, if you like old school Heavy Metal from USA, you can have a look on this release but be warned, if it's not bad, it's nothing special too?

Performance:	7
Songwriting:	6
Originality:	5
Production:	8