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The Trip is the third full-length release from Chile's Lucifer's Hammer and their first for High Roller Records. The band's past releases have leaned heavily on Iron Maiden for inspiration, but with The Trip they've expanded their repertoire to include more elements from the NWOBHM while staying true to the sound of early '80s metal. First things first, the vocals, which have always been a sore spot for me, are markedly improved. Maybe it's the addition of echo to Hades' vocal lines, giving songs like "I Believe in You" a Gaskin/Tokyo Blade vibe or maybe he's just become a better singer, but either way, it's a definite improvement. The music remains firmly traditional, but the Maiden influences are less obvious, and Lucifer's Hammer appear to be developing their own take on a sound that has spawned so many bands. They've added some hard rock accessibility without sacrificing any of the metallic punch. There's even a nice scream at the opening of the album on the track "The Oppression" that brought Warlord to mind (who, of course, have a song called "Lucifer's Hammer"), but The Trip is mainly a romping heavy metal album full of driving riffs and solos that should bring out more than a few air guitars. Nice to see a band progress. If you love '80s traditional metal and haven't checked out Lucifer's Hammer already, give The Trip a spin.