A lot of the online info about this album includes repeated reassurances that their extremely glammy/sleazy aesthetics don't extend into the music, and that they play real metal. I was still quite skeptical--the band photos immediately brought Steel Panther to mind, and realistically I expected something like Crashdïet musically, or perhaps at best something like the heavier Priest-inspired tracks on Too Fast for Love. I was quite taken aback when the opener "Enemy" turned out to be a speed metal tune, and I'm happy to confirm this is a legitimate heavy metal CD.
The bulk of the album is rooted in '80s traditional metal, though there are some injections of modern power metal influences and some general power metal overtones throughout the CD (they do indeed sound like they're the retro heavy metal sideproject of a Swedish or German power metal band). Just by virtue of being '80s style metal, of course there are plenty of Maiden influences abound, but the galloping Egyptian melodies of "The Curse" are a clear homage to "Powerslave." I also hear touches of "Strange World" early on in "The Fallen One," though it falls far, far short of that and ends up being more of a power metal power ballad.
This disc was definitely one of my most blatant "you can't judge a book by its cover" metal moments, since there isn't even a hint of L.A. influence here! Sadly, some quick sampling on YouTube confirms their later material definitely fits their image.
The bulk of the album is rooted in '80s traditional metal, though there are some injections of modern power metal influences and some general power metal overtones throughout the CD (they do indeed sound like they're the retro heavy metal sideproject of a Swedish or German power metal band). Just by virtue of being '80s style metal, of course there are plenty of Maiden influences abound, but the galloping Egyptian melodies of "The Curse" are a clear homage to "Powerslave." I also hear touches of "Strange World" early on in "The Fallen One," though it falls far, far short of that and ends up being more of a power metal power ballad.
This disc was definitely one of my most blatant "you can't judge a book by its cover" metal moments, since there isn't even a hint of L.A. influence here! Sadly, some quick sampling on YouTube confirms their later material definitely fits their image.
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