Artch - Another Return (1988)

I recall being bedazzled by the artwork as a teenage metalhead. This is white hot power metal, released on Active Records. There appears to be a mild thrash influence too, mainly in those buzzing, chugging guitar riffs. Hawk's effortless tones placed these Norwegian metal masters high up the league but their career floundered after two impressive records. A kick-ass (as they say in the US!) Gothically-laced power metal slab full of crashing drums and searing guitars, the title cut a doom-laden affair, but the band refuse to take themselves too seriously, 'Metal Life' a perfect example of the loose cannon Artch were. Olsen and Nilssen's guitar attack is the album highlight, but like similar acts - i.e. Kick Axe, this has so much atmosphere and hell bent for leather attitude, that if you give it a spin today it'll fel like you've slipped into a time machine and been transported back to metal's heyday. 'Power To The Man' symbolizes such macho yet masterly grace. Part Maiden part chilly winter's evening, Artch deserved better than a two album career, but haven't we heard this so many times before.

8/10

Saxon - Call To Arms (2011)

Holy smokin' metal, this is Saxon's nineteenth record, that's unreal...and despite years in the grunge wilderness, they still keep hammering at the door, and someone has got to let them in. Saxon's last batch of records have been high quality metal, matching their classics from the times of yore, Biff is on steaming form and his band of young upstarts are keen to get down to what they do best - crafting solid frameworks of cold steel. You have no right to slag this type of album off, because with Saxon you know what you're getting, but this isn't the pomp of 'Destiny', this is a cry for war, a march into babylon, and indeed, a call to arms, from that slow burning serpent 'Back In 79' to the full throttle 'Surviving Against The Odds', a track which pretty much sums of the career of these dogs of war. I guess some cynics always saw these guys as the Status Quo of metal but that's not the case, 'Call...' isn't a plodding, dull as dishwater record, the superb 'Chasing The Bullet' is furious but check out the monstrous 'Afterburner' with its thrashing guitars and the doom-laden riffs of 'No Rest For The Wicked'. I'm glad Saxon exist and the beast is somehow getting stronger.

7.5/10

Evile - Five Serpent's Teeth (2011)

The leader's of the thrash revival manage to bridge the gap between Metallica circa 'Master...' and Slayer, producing a meaty, chugging, and at times ferocious thrash record. Evile are happy to pay homage to the past as long as their own brand of powerage works, the first two cuts on the record - the title cut and 'In Dreams Of Terror' certainly live up to expectation, but I'm finding myself bored by the Metallica, circa 'And Justice...' plod of 'Cult' and feel that Evile are better when the dynamics become faster and more complex, 'Origin Of Oblivion' bringing to mind the Bay Area fury of Exodus. I'm guessing many fans will see 'Five...' as a natural progression but I'd rather not hear Metallica imitation ('In Memoriam') and instead prefer the almost King Diamond melody of 'Descent Into madness'. For me, Evile are indeed the leaders of the new breed but I can take it or leave it, finding myself absorbed for certain tracks then bored by others. I often wonder how these guys would have fared if they'd existed back in the '80s, and whilst that's all rather hypothetical, I don't see hardly any of the modern bands truly encapsulating the '80s thrash dynamics. Evile's debut, 'Enter The Grave' was a much needed rocket up the arse for today's thrash metal, but this isn't as essential as many would have you believe.

6.5/10

Michael Monroe - Sensory Overdrive (2011)

Once a rock star always a rock star - shame Nikki Sixx couldn't have enlisted someone like Monroe for the Sixx AM albums, 'Sensory...' is a high octane glam rock n roll stomper as one would expect, no big thrills, just good, ol' fashioned balls to the wall metal, boosted by Ginger's driving guitar and a guest appearance by the mighty Lemmy. Monroe has always had the ability to produce batches of high quality and incredibly catchy tracks, no change here, 'Center Of Your Heart' and 'Bombs Away', classy, short tracks delivered to the maximum. Monroe has always been an underrated musician but his place in metal history was cemented long ago and it's cool that he kinda exists under the radar whilst always putting out strong records. Of course, Monroe shoulda been huge considering the amount of people Hanoi Rocks influenced, but as it is, get your glittery hands on this thirty-or so minute opus and you won't be disappointed. Cool cover too.

7/10

Crucified Barbara - Til Death Do Us Party (2009)

Good album title, and of course, if the band are on the cover it's gonna be a cool cover too! One of the best, or at least my fave female metal acts, who, like the monstrous Meldrum, have the ability to rock heavy with attitude aplenty and some monolithic riffs which kick straight in on opener 'Killer On His Knees'. Vocally, I love female vocalists who've got a bit of raw oomph and I can't knock Mia Coldheart's aggressive rasp. My only issue about the record is that it has a very clean modern feel, not a bad thing, but I'd love to hear these gals with a rawer, grittier producer who brings out the sleazier side. 'Creatures' and 'Jennyfer' prime examples of this, because although they are solid, heavy rock tracks, in their melody they exist as rather one dimensional, but I'm loving the straight laced, balls to the wall entries such as 'Can't Handle Love' and 'Danger Danger', and that's what CB do best. Always room for improvement, but they have crafted themselves into a nifty outfit.

7.5/10

Loud n' Nasty - Teaser Teaser (2005)

Okay, so a majority of glam/sleaze bands, especially those today, have godawful names, but in keeping with the '80s hair metal hullabaloo, Loud n' Nasty have kept this dirty enough for it to work. File alongside Crazy Lixx, Crash Diet, et al, for that seemingly sincere and understanding of all the hairspray acts that have gone before. There are some killer guitar solo's on here, all very much nodding to the weightier side of bands such as Crue. Naturally, it can start to grate and will have you putting on your original '80s records, but I've heard far worse and in this day and age of drivel and dross such as Snow Patrol and Coldplay, it's great to hear bands gettin' sleazy and also great that there's a scene too. The biggest issue with this type of revival metal is when it doesn't work - as in the case of so many watery thrash bands and glam bands who end up sounding too pop, but although these guys aren't exactly loud or particularly nasty, it deserves a few spins. Rock on boys...

6.5/10

Peep Show - Out For Blood (2009)

Hard to believe that these guys are from Scotland - with all due respect, and also hard to believe this is a fairly recent release and not something confined to the grim caverns of the '80s. 'Out For Blood' is a sweating bloodfest of a record that combines the glorious glam gore of W.A.S.P., and the strut of old leathery Crue, and all with elements of class and taste, without resorting to the cheese. This is a pretty heavy record, full of tough riffs, clanking drums and dense vocals, never once relegating itself to overt cliche, but instead being fired up by the true spirit of '80s metal. This sort of stuff seems to be popular in Sweden at the moment with bands like Crash Diet and Nasty Idols bringing it back from the dead as such, but these Scots rock too, pumping out the anthems with razor sharp intensity. 'I Want You', the title cut, 'Teenage Nightmare', and 'A Nice Night To Die' all hail the deadly dungeon master of classic metal. Vicious and venomous this is a debut for all you wicked worshippers who like their glam down and dirty.

7/10