BLADE KILLER
“HIGH RISK”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

9.5/10

Blade Killer are a heavy metal band from the USA formed in 2012, releasing their debut album ‘High Risk’ in 2018.

All the way from America comes a new band that deliver a brand of NWOBHM that was prevalent during the early eighties with bands such as Paul Di’anno era Iron Maiden, Angel Witch and Raven. The burgeoning NWOBHM evolution spawned a world wide revolution of heavy metal, with many modern bands citing that era as a major influence. Everything about the Blade Killer image, from their band name & logo, to the leather and stud clad wristbands on the album cover, is eighties NWOBHM re-visited. Eight songs across a thirty minute play time is an exhilarating and exciting journey back in time, especially for those of us old enough to have been there and experienced the evolution first hand. Album opener ‘Lost Angels’ is a furious gallop of “foot on the monitor” style heavy metal, very NWOBHM and very, very British sounding. A twin guitar duel and a thunderous rhythm push ‘Lost Angels’ along at a blistering pace.

A pace that doesn’t relent as ‘Let Go (Let Go)’ thunders into view with guitars buzzing just like the classic sound of the NWOBHM. Even the vocal delivery sounds like it time warped from the early eighties to the here and now. Guitars howl and scream as the album moves swiftly on with the title song ‘High Risk’. And is it high risk that Blade Killer have released such a retro sounding album? Maybe, but for the likes of old rockers like me who are in love with the NWOBHM and everything the eighties heavy metal evolution created, no, it’s not a high risk. ‘High Risk’ is fast paced, thunderous, infectious and encompasses everything great about my teenage years during the early to mid eighties. Fists punching the air hard, heads nodding back and forth vigorously, ‘High Risk’ is an absolute corker, and a bombastic beauty. Without pausing for breath, the album steam rollers on with ‘In The Arms Of The Devil’. A classic mid to high tempo, full of energy and infectious romp, ‘In The Arms Of The Devil’ is a perfect blend of the Iron Maiden and Judas Priest sound. Add a catchy chant style chorus and ‘In The Arms Of The Devil’ is surely gonna become a crowd favourite sing a long in a live arena.

Scorching the earth as it flies along at high velocity, ‘Midnight Sinner’ is very fast and will invoke head banging of the vigorous nature. Superbly delivered, ‘Midnight Sinner’ is very infectious and is a rabid romp of the duelling guitars and galloping rhythm that Britain made famous during the NWOBHM evolution. Blade Killer are a modern day band, living in the present, yet performing like an eighties band. The electrifying pace is kept high with ‘Rush’, which literally rushes by in a flash. One of those shorter songs that hurtle past in a blur, ‘Rush’ is furious, fierce and fiery. ‘Endangered Dreams’ opens with a riff that sounds similar to ‘Phantom Of The Opera’, by Iron Maiden off their self titled 1980 debut album. Blade Killer have got the NWOBHM sound down to perfection, and as ‘Endangered Dreams’ progresses, it changes pace to become a ferocious foray of fire and brimstone. A breathless thirty minutes of barn storming heavy metal is brought to an emphatic end with the highly energetic and bombastic thunder ‘Tomb Of Thoughts’. Addictive and infectious take on new meaning, as Blade Killer deliver a killer album of old school traditional heavy metal.

Overall, an album packed with eighties sounding NWOBHM that will bring to the fore the evolution of the traditional style of British heavy metal.

TRACKLIST

Lost Angels
Let Go (Let Go)
High Risk
In The Arms Of The Devil
Midnight Sinner
Rush
Endangered Dreams
Tomb Of Thoughts

https://bladekiller.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/bladekillerheavymetal/

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