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Some very big names crowded the line-up in this now defunct band from Dortmund, Germany. And if one is a fan of German Thrash Metal from the good ol' days, the Crows would be a mouth-watering prospect. Before Sodom was formed, Bobby Schottkowski hit the skins here. On the microphone we had Leszek Szpigiel (Scanner), and on guitar we had Bernd Kost (again from Sodom). And prior to Angel Dust, Frank Banx was taking care of the bass duties on this one.

But, The Dying Race does not quite deliver what one would expect from the lone release from an all-star line-up such as this. They played a fairly standard form of Teutonic Power Metal with meaty riffs and a good rhythm presence; and the overlap with Traditional and Thrash is prevalent here, as is usually the case with Power Metal from these parts of the world. As would be expected, the riffs on display are precision guided to get the classic headbanger in frenzy. But it is the melodies that do not go so well with the rest. It is of course a matter of taste as I've heard some very good things about this record. But it seems to me that this band would have been a far greater outfit had they played faster and thrashier tunes, rather than focusing on the melodies. Angel Dust and Scanner do exactly this, but with a certain magical touch lacking over here.

Very little information is available about this band and quite oddly, Century Media does not even list them in their roster. In addition, when this band officially split up is still a mystery. In any case, if German Power Metal is your thing, you will like this. All others can probably stay clear.