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Here we have a disgrace, because this is an excellent band with ten albums under their belts (this is number nine), and I have not heard them until now. Most likely the fact that they hail from Kazakhstan has made their discs harder to find in the US than chicken tits, and has kept them from my radar for so long.

So, without further ado – Holy Dragons. These dudes play fast and heavy true metal in the tradition of Running Wild or Wizard. Fast riffs, heavy guitars, and catchy vocals hooks galore. They sing in Russian, so I can't make out the lyrics, but a perusal of the tracklist will assure you they have the proper passion for war, battle, and Norse gods. The vocals are good, if not great, but they do the job and clear the way for those killer guitars as they wring out chunky rhythms and sometimes glorious Maiden-style twin-ax harmonies. All the songs here are good, and the album is very consistent, with obvious standouts like "Valhalla", the furious "The Storm", and the excellent title track just highlighting the proceeding.

I've missed out by not catching up on this band sooner, and I plan to fix that as soon as I'm able. You should to, as Holy Dragons provide plenty of fuel to keep your head flailing. Underrated and recommended.