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Ah, at last Slough Feg come back with another masterwork. I'm one of those who thought Atavism was not their best material, certainly not on a par with the marvelous Traveller or Down Among The Deadmen. That's why I am so psyched by the release of Hardworlder, which gets one of may favorite bands back in the captain's chair. For their sixth album, Slough Feg are at it again.

It's really hard to put a verbal finger on what makes this band so great – they just play great songs. You could compare them to a folkier Iron Maiden, you could call them quirky or odd, you can say they are as much about 70's rock as 80's metal, but really, Slough Feg are just a great band. This time out, they are armed with great songs like "Tiger Tiger", "The Sea Wolf" and "Insomnia", plus great cover songs by Horslips and Manilla Road - heck, their cover of "Street Jammer" is better than the original.

Singer Mike Scalzi sounds better than he ever has, the riffs are hooky and stick in your skull like harpoons, and the leads may be the best ever on a Slough Feg album – which is really saying something. This is a definite contender for album of the year, and nobody is happier about that than me. Another Slough Feg classic.