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After an unimpressive debut, OZ took the Metal world by storm with their sophomore album Fire in the Brain, getting very positive coverage in Metal magazines everywhere and even a promised tour with Slayer and Venom to capitalize on the newfound fame (that never happened, sadly. Thanks, Combat Records). People were definitely looking forward to the next album, everyone hoping that it would match its predecessor in quality and style. It didn't, but it's still a solid album.

In some ways, the aptly titled III Warning is what you'd expect from OZ, as it's a heavily NWOBHM influenced slice of old-school Metal given life with the distinctive voice of Ape De MArtini and the quality musicianship of everyone else. You even get some killer songs with "Third Warning," "Crucified" and "Samurai", with the latter letting Jay C. Blade's excellent bass playing take the spotlight. Sadly, the rest of the album suffers from being softer and more commercially minded than Fire in the Brain, being less raw and violent as a result. This is especially noticeable on "Rock 'n' Roll Widows", which sounds like it was made by some other, much lamer band with its easy-going style and an awful chorus that gets repeated way too much.

That all reads very negatively, but mostly this album suffers in comparison to what came before it. At the end of the day, III Warning is an enjoyable album from the good old days that any Metal fan will find some enjoyment out of. Just don't go expecting another Fire in the Brain, because it's not.