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Starting life many years ago as a pub-crawling tribute act to the metal heroes of yore, UK wannabies Untamed got their shit together and decided it was time for some original material, which we have collected here on their rough and ready debut album, the aptly titled Insanity Bound. A bit long in the tooth for any contemporary flashes of aggression, Untamed have their leather-chapped feet firmly in the old school, particularly in the NWOBHM scene of the early 80s, but also in the Bay Area Thrash movement when the fancy takes them.

Musically there is a strong Accept-meets-Grim Reaper vibe that works quite well until vocalist Jon Sampson decides to open his mouth, producing a bad Brian Ross impression that, actually, sounds better than the ex-Satan man himself. Production-wise, things aren't as bad as expected, with a harsh, brittle guitar tone making songs like "Broken Silence" and punchy opener "Blood Soldiers" decent headbangers. As you can imagine, Untamed aren't particularly inventive here, and even though they have sidestepped the comedic 80s revival that seems to be sweeping the metal world right now, their old school endeavors, no matter how stale, will still bring a smile to wrinkled faces.