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Züül, a quirky Heavy Metal band from Illinois in the U.S., took me completely and pleasantly by surprise earlier this year with their debut, Out of Time. Sounding more like they came out of London, circa 1981, than the Midwest in 2010, Züül really captured that old time sound without sounding dated.

Like their heroes from the 80s, Züül seem fond of releasing 7" singles. Their third, and most recent, is "Howl of the Wolf" b/w "Skull Splitter." Both songs continue in the style of Out of Time with a muddy production and plenty of echo on The Baron Batteau's vocals. Both songs sound like possible leftovers from the Out of Time sessions. They are very good, but not quite up to the bar set by "Out of Time," "Warriors" or "Ride Ride." Twin Maiden-esque guitars, excellent solos and the unique vocals of The Baron Batteau are all present.

Fans of the band (like me) should pick this up; on the outside chance these songs don't make it on to the band's next album. Newcomers should pick up Out of Time to get the full effect of a great, up-and-coming band and then check out "Howl of the Wolf" b/w "Skull Splitter."