Year: 2020
Total Time: 26:46
Label: Sonic Age Records
Well, I don’t know about you, but when I last checked my diary, the yea mentioned was 2020 and if in the end the earth isn’t flat, like some people believe, I think it’s time to start wondering if everywhere the era is the same or we’ll have to start checking certain places in the city to make sure we all live in the same time and space.
OK, I don’t say this as a bad thing, being in a certain heavy metal age when I see bands coming out and play music that’s coming straight from the past and wake beautiful memories and feelings that we wonder if they are still buried somewhere deep or they are gone forever, well, I don’t know about you, but I myself feel very happy about it.
If you haven’t already figured out what this is all about, I should finally mention that this duet from Athens with the respected name STEELWITCH is doing exactly that. They have traveled back in time in the beginning of the 1980’s and came back combining influences from Europe, USA, Nwobhm (if you don’t know what this is, go read something else) and are offering us a release that if someone would grab on a tape without any additional info with it, he would desperately start looking everywhere to find out “which is this unknown album that was released some 30 years ago and I discovered today”.
This particular mini album that we are dealing with this time has this simple discreet title “Steelwitch” and contains 5 songs. Straight from the start till the end what we get is pure, unadulterated old school heavy metal with US power and speed metal influences mostly in the likes of κυρίως IRON MAIDEN, CIRITH UNGOL, GLACIER, CLOVEN HOOF, TOKYO BLADE and if I have to mention some modern bands, I’d say ENFORCER or EVILE. The vocals of Giorgos Papagiannakis (also on ABSINTHIANA, AENAON) have the appropriate complexion and strength while Ungod (also SAD, SLAUGHTER PRIEST) who’s dealing with all the instruments is unfolding all the aspects of his talents that we haven’t seen all these years as he was mostly into extreme black metal with his other bands. In my opinion “A Legacy of Swords” which is a combination of all the influences we mentioned before is the top moment here and then the “American sounding” “Moonlight Whispers” and the MAIDEN-ish (DiAnno era of course) “Cursed Dreams”. The other two tracks, “Last Winter’s Day” and the self-titled one are of course great power/speed metal tunes and in case you wonder what’s going on in the lyrics area, well, what did you think, all the fire and steel you need is here. About the production, someone would say is an “average” one concerning our times, but I would say it sounds warmer and more real, so everything is great once again!
The only bet that remains to see if it will be won and of course only the future will tell, is how long will a band that worships te past so much can last and keep the fans interest hot with their releases. Until we find that out, we support this first effort which is represents exactly the old saying that goes “This is for the old ones to remember and for the young ones to learn”! 666 Thumbs up!!!
Rating: 7/10
Editor: Antonis Livanios
Related Link: STEELWITCH – Facebook Page
