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Ichabod Krane is a Traditional Heavy Metal band that features musicians formerly from other US bands like Halloween and Sleepy Hollow, which gives some context for the band's name. If I only had one sentence to describe Ichabod Krane's debut, Day of Reckoning, it would be this; Ichabod Krane sounds exactly like License to Kill-era Malice. Vocalist Jeff Schlinz sounds exactly like James Neal, from the angry mid-range to the high-pitched shouts, the riffs are down-and-dirty, the solos pure 80s and the songwriting classic US Heavy/Power Metal. I had to check the Metal Archives to make sure James Neal wasn't actually resurfacing here (and did a double take when I saw the name of the bassist, George Neal). While there's nothing particularly noteworthy on Day of Reckoning, it sure is nice to hear a US band playing Traditional Metal with an 80s sound (and production – this album sounds like it was recorded using more primitive equipment) and doing it well.

If you miss the days of walking into a record store, picking up an album based on a cool cover, like License to Kill or Savatage's Power of the Night, then reveling in the solid Heavy Metal inside, check out Ichabod Krane's Day of Reckoning. Even if the album cover is rather boring.