Hexx - Under The Spell (1986)

One of those excellent bands who managed without effort to bridge the gap between power metal and thrash. Quite hard to find on vinyl, 'Under The Spell' has all the mysticism one would hope for regarding an album from this era. Blessed in a cool cover, 'Under The Spell' will appeal to fans of Vicious Rumours, and the like - this is dark, brooding metal with great powerful vocals and stunning riffs, just check out the ominous groove of the title track, brilliant stuff. 'The Victim,' 'The Hexx' and the thunderous 'Hell Riders' all follow suit as dazzling power thrash. These metalheads released a batch of quality albums, and to be honest you can't go wrong with any of them. This is one band who epitomise well executed '80s metal, bereft of cheese but big on the atmosphere and fist pumping fire. 8/10