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Generation Steel is a relatively new band out of Germany, but they steep their sound in the greats of the past. It really is no surprise then that Accept's guitarist, Uwe Lulis, produced this album. The nods to Accept and Judas Priest are all over this record, along with taking that base and adding in a bit of Mystic Prophecy and Primal Fear.

I know I labeled this as Heavy Metal and that works as well as any other label, but that is not all Generation Steel offer. There are moments here that have that heavy Power Metal vibe that is normally associated with American Power Metal bands. Catchy riffs and vocal lines are the order of the day, and all the songs definitely feel like their own entity. All varied enough to pick out individual songs, which isn't always the case with this genre. The vocals are heavier than you would expect. Think of a mix of Urban Breed and Roberto Liapakis. The most impressive thing to me is that this is the album you would expect from a good band on their third or fourth release, and this is Generation Steel's debut. The level of the songwriting is just that good. Another thing of genuine note here is that there are no ballads. Thirteen songs and no ballads, now that is something I can really get behind. Let's be honest, a lot of ballads are just not that great and come across as the band felt like they HAD to do one, otherwise their girlfriends would be angry. I was a little nervous when I looked at the track listing and saw a song coming up called "Soulmates" but, no worries, it is actually one of the heavier songs on the album. Got to give props for that.

Overall, this album is a really fun listen and is absolutely fantastic in the car cruising down the highway. I really like the new Accept album, but I would say that The Eagle Will Rise is the album they wished they had released. If you were even slightly disappointed with Accept's latest, give this one a listen. I think you will be glad you did.