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Sweden's Leviticus started out back in 1981 and released five albums and slew of singles before calling it quits in 1993, at least as far as recording was concerned. The band appears active again and Ektro Records has resurrected their third album, 1985's The Strongest Power. I'm astonished by the fact that I missed this one back in the day, as it is chock-full of 80s/NWOBHM awesomeness. The riffs are crunchy yet incredibly melodic. The vocals are far from perfect but delivered with such energy, singing along is impossible not to do. As you might have divined from the band's name, the lyrics are positive and rather religious but I found them to be far less preachy than some of their 80s contemporaries. Even the ballads avoid being prissy, piano love songs (I'm talking about you, Stryper).

You may be thinking that you're going to skip this one because of the lyrics but if you're a fan of classic 80s Metal, you'll be cutting off your nose to spite your face. The songs are insanely catchy, the riffs loose yet a perfect representation of the time and the solos fine examples of how simple can be better. Do yourself a favor; ignore the lyrics and let the authentic sound of the golden age of Metal wash over you. An absolute must for fans of the early output of Loudness, Manowar and Y&T along with bands like Tokyo Blade and Brainfever.