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Columbia's Revenge has been around since 2002 and has a myriad of releases to their credit including six full-length albums making it strange that I've never run across them before. On album six, Harder Than Steel, as the name implies these gents are about Heavy Metal, plain and simple. The title, the album artwork of a warrior riding a three-headed demon and song titles like "Headbangers Brigade," "Witching Possession" and "Flying to Hell" let the listener know this stuff may have a modern sound but the spirit is old school all the way. Some of the tracks are fast but this isn't Power Metal. It is more akin to Speed Metal and the guitars have a crisp, Thrash tone. The singer's gritty shout suits the music quite well though he rarely displays much more than a fairly limited range and it starts to wear thin before the album is over. Revenge sounds like an amped-up version of Saxon to me, especially on the track "Motorider." The only downside to Harder Than Steel, other than the vocals, is the cover of Running Wild's "Chains and Leather" which sounds a lot more repetitive here than I remember from Branded and Exiled.

If you want unadulterated Heavy Metal with songs about Heavy Metal shit like Hell, headbanging, vengeance, etc. then Harder Than Steel's fast, punchy songs are for you. Pour on the speed and throw some fists in the air.