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Second album from guitarist David T Chastain, and what an album it is, too. What we get here is nine tracks of pummeling, grinding USPM, punctuated by Chastain’s avid riffing style and the gritty, gut-busting vocals of Leather Leone, one of the finest female vocalists in the business, and given this was released in 1986, she was a bit of a pioneer in her field. This has nothing to do with Nightwish or anything like that; this is classic US Power Metal in the finest fashion, with that retro charm working in the production, and just riffs topped upon riffs. While Chastain steals the show with shredding solos and a touch of neo-classical finesse, it’s Leone who shines brightest, with booming, powerful shocks of high-tempered vocal theatrics which make songs like ‘One Day to Live’ and the absolutely massive ‘Angel Of Mercy’ (which HammerFall covered to dire effect) such treasures.

The album is quality from start to finish, but special mention must go to ‘Fighting to Stay Alive’, with its demanding riff, ‘The Battle of Nevermore’, which boasts an opening melody not all that far away from Maiden’s ‘Wasting Love’, and the excellent opening title track. The chorus on this one is so damn metal, if it doesn’t get your motor running, you need to leave the hall immediately. So there you have it. A true USPM classic that makes you want to bust out your spray-on jeans and bullet belts all over again. A glorious slice of American steel.