Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise? Japan's Anthem have been around for 40+ years and have released several albums over that span, yet despite being aware OF them I had never actually heard anything BY them until Crimson & Jet Black, their 20th full-length album, dropped into my review queue. All I can think after listening to it several times is that I really dropped the ball. I listened to plenty of Loudness, Earthshaker, Bow Wow, etc. over the years, so how did I let Anthem fly under my radar? Shame on me.

On Crimson & Jet Black, Anthem have laid down 11 tracks of cracking heavy/power metal, loaded with speed, riffs, and hooks aplenty. Whether they are crushing a slow groove on "Roaring Vortex" or taking a side trip to the Middle East on "Mystic Echoes" or simply burning down the place on speed-fests like "Blood Brothers" and "Snake Eyes," Anthem make no mistakes, nailing each performance. There are just enough keyboards to sweeten the harmonies, but they in no way sap any power from the songs. I'm finding it hard to identify which tracks are the standouts because they all kick ass and there really isn't a single weak spot I can come up with. If you like melodic and speedy traditional heavy metal in the same vein as Accept, Painkiller-era Priest, Black Majesty, and the like, Crimson & Jet Black is an album you need to own.