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Hard to believe it's been fifteen years since this band got my attention with their sophomore full-length The End of Tomorrow. Since then, we've only had the re-recording of their debut Return of the Spectral Rider, and that was a full seven years ago. Considering how much I have enjoyed their past output, I was stoked to see a new full-length album, and I was right to be.

This has always been an odd band, starting with a base of eccentric Speed Metal that has a lot to do with bands like classic Scanner or Deadly Blessing, adding in more US Metal flourishes that remind me of Liege Lord or even Helstar. You get addictive twin-axe riffs that careen along with energy to spare, enough hooks for a commercial fishing boat, and the unmistakable vocal presence of frontman Al Firicano, who has matured over the years into a really solid singer—much more solid than I would have expected from the old days. He still has crazy highs and some idiosyncratic phrasing, but his performance here is much more controlled than he used to be.

I don't find this quite as infectious as The End of Tomorrow, but it is still a massively entertaining album that any fan of '80s-style metal should not skip. This band is definitely an underground gem and they deserve more attention than they get.