Midnight Chaser – Lion’s Choice

After making a quick impact on the heavy metal scene by getting signed to Heavy Artillery Records, California’s Midnight Chaser has been a bit quieter lately. 2014 saw the independent release of their second full-length, “Lion’s Choice”, which is soon to be re-released on CD by Swords and Chains Records. There could not be a better partnership between band and label because Midnight Chaser represents everything the label is about: great songs and old-school heavy metal. “Lion’s Choice” is a stellar exercise in masterful, memorable songwriting that shows the influence of any number of classic metal bands from Iron Maiden to Saxon to Diamond Head, and even to bands grounded in hard rock like UFO or Scorpions (the former of which they cover on this record).

The best song on “Lion’s Choice” is the title track. Not only does this song rock out tremendously, but it also syncs up some of the guitar melodies with the vocals, making these sections doubly potent and catchy. This is the type of song that will be closing out their concerts for the next 3 decades – a true heavy metal classic. The next track, “Rollin’” only further speeds things up. Again, the quintessential heavy metal formula is present: charged-up riffs, energetic solos, and an enthusiastic singer makes for a convincing track. As with many of their contemporaries, Midnight Chaser’s guitarists absolutely abuse their fretboards all throughout the record. There is no shortage of guitar solos, and despite the somewhat rock and roll nature of this record (at least compared to the straight up speed metal of bands like Skull Fist), the solos are actually surprisingly virtuosic at times.

As alluded to earlier, this album has a number of tracks that lean more towards hard rock than metal. The first of these is “White Denim”, but “Juicer” also takes a similar approach. The band pulls off both this style and a heavier one seamlessly. The sounds really aren’t that far apart from one another, so it works effectively. It is for this reason, that the cover of Savage’s “Cry Wolf” sounds perfectly aligned with the rest of the record. As much as I hate to admit this, I’m not really familiar with any of Savage’s work, and if you hadn’t told me that this was a cover, there would be no way to know. On the other hand, the cover of UFO’s “Mother Mary” is a little more distinct, and probably the only moment on the record that feels a little out of place. This brings up the only real problem with this album: It doesn’t quite crack 35 minutes, yet it has two covers included in that runtime. Nevertheless, they’re well enough executed that it doesn’t matter too much. 

On the whole, “Lion’s Choice” is an impressive heavy metal release. Not only does it have a significant amount of passion and vigor in the music, but it also stands on its own from many other traditional heavy metal bands. Considering the basic formula is the same as a lot of other bands, this is an impressive achievement. There might be a lot of great talent in the traditional heavy metal scene these days, but Midnight Chaser can compete with any other band out there!

Be sure to check out and like Midnight Chaser on Facebook!

Highlights

"Lion's Choice"

"Rollin'"

"Cry Wolf"

Final Rating

4.4/5 or 88%. 

Written by Scott

High Heeler – Force and Finesse

Austria is not a country that gets a lot of love when it comes to metal, but they have a surprisingly deep traditional heavy metal scene. One such example is High Heeler, who has recently signed to Swords and Chains Records for the release of their first full-length album, “Force and Finesse”. This title perfectly describes the sound of the record. The force aspect comes from the energetic, aggressive riffs that dominate the album. The album is practically overflowing with riffs that hearken back to the NWOBHM, where bands pushed the envelope as far as they could without the influence of punk. On the other hand, the finesse aspect comes from a variety of different areas. The first is the production; unlike many current traditional heavy metal albums, “Force and Finesse” does not have a modern production, and the guitar tone doesn’t have as much low end. This naturally allows the lead guitars more room to breathe, creating a bouncier, less-precise sound (though still perfectly in time).

Another area where the finesse is evident is in the vocals of the fantastically named individual, Poison Poser. His singing is somewhat of a blend between the sounds of Cauldron and Enforcer (moreso the former than the latter). He largely stays in the upper range (without hitting the highs of power metal singers), but he doesn’t provide a ton of strength in his technique. This makes his voice somewhat mesmerizing, not unlike Jason Decay’s. It also gives the album a bit of a glammy vibe at times. That is not to say they’re a full-on hair band, but anyone who appreciates those bands will definitely find even more to enjoy on this record.

From a songwriting perspective, High Heeler is above many of their contemporaries. The entire record is quite consistent in terms of quality, but a couple of tracks stand above the rest. The first is “Au Revoir”, which excels due to Poison Poser’s strong vocal performance. The chorus is catchier than anything else on the record. “Au Revoir” also features tons of lead playing, and while it is not as flashy as something from a White Wizzard record, for example, it is equally tasteful. The other standout song is “Midnight Angel”, which is notable for the incredible riff that kicks off the track. It’s one of those “feelgood” metal riffs; not particularly heavy, but very effective. The remaining 7 songs offer up similar sounds, and ultimately make “Force and Finesse” a very enjoyable release. Though it has taken High Heeler a while to release their first studio album (having been around since 2000), they are sure to make an immediate impact in the metal scene!

Be sure to check out and like High Heeler on Facebook!

Highlights

"Au Revoir"

"Misery"

"Midnight Angel"

Final Rating

4.4/5 or 88%. 

Written by Scott 

Witch Blade – Oskuldernas Eld

Witch Blade is a new Swedish heavy metal band that is releasing their first full-length album in 2015 entitled “Oskuldernas Eld”. Don’t let the non-English song titles and lyrics deter you; this album is very worth your time. I’ll be the first to admit that I struggle with bands that don’t sing in English, but Witch Blade offers up enough smashing riffs and killer solos that this album will be stuck in your memory, even if you have no idea what’s going on vocally.

Stylistically, Witch Blade is a pretty standard traditional heavy metal bands. The guitars are the main focus on this album, and the riffs are not unlike those you would hear from any number of 1980s bands (Dio, Judas Priest, etc.). Of course, they also offer up plenty of Maiden-esque harmonies (see the intros to “Djävulens Svärd” and “Fjärrans Krig” for the best examples). There is no shortage of talent when it comes to the guitar playing on this record, but everyone in the band delivers a rock-solid performance. The drums will catch your attention from the beginning of the first track, largely because the bass drum is both poundingly heavy and loud. This sound is so intense that it actually feels like it’s popping out of the speakers. Witch Blade’s singer is more on the natural side of things. He doesn’t have a huge range, but he’s competent enough to suit the material. The vocal lines are well written, but personally, I can’t call them catchy as I can’t latch on to any of the words or syllables.

As you might imagine, “Oskuldernas Eld” is an album that has really hit the fundamentals of traditional heavy metal. It’s a loud, fun experience that is clearly the result of studying the works of bands from 30 years ago. While it doesn’t rank amongst my favourite bands of this style, it is clearly far more competent than many others. I can’t really fault a band for wanting to sing in their own language, but at the same time, the natural effect of that is that it will turn a lot of people away. If this isn’t an issue for you, then “Oskuldernas Eld” is sure to impress!

Be sure to check out and like Witch Blade on Facebook!

Highlights

All of it

Final Rating

3.7/5 or 74%. 

Written by Scott