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Malice were around way back during metal's inception, producing two full-lengths in 1981 and 1986, with an EP following in 1989. Their most memorable gig was as a support act for Metallica, so it's interesting to see them crop up in 2012 with a newly-recorded collection of old tracks and four new ones. After a successful tour, Malice are in ass-kicking form, though New Breed Of Godz isn't all it could be. To get the good points out of the way, vocal veteran James Rivera sounds immense here. His soaring, earth-shattering vocals just keep getting better, and throughout this album he puts in a devastating performance. Due to his insanely charismatic style, much of this album sounds like every other band he has been in, from Helstar and Destiny's End, all the way up to Seven Witches. And while songs such as "Hell Rider", "Circle Of Fire" and "Air Attack" offer up a plethora of headbanging riffs and anthemic choruses, the album as a whole just isn't strong enough to keep you going back.

Fans of Helstar, Vicious Rumors, Driver, and thrashy US Power Metal will get their money's worth out of this, but it's not as promising as it appears.