When you think of crunchy, Germanic power metal, one of the first bands that should pop in to your mind is Piet Sielck's Iron Savior. Piet's been around metal since the early '80s, as a musician and producer, and knows exactly what it takes to bring a catchy song from idea to sticking in a listener's brain. Kill or Be Killed is the band's 10th album of original material and it might be their best since Condition Red in terms of consistency. From "Kill or Be Killed" to "From Dust to Rubble" to "Legends of Glory", Piet and crew produce a downpour of riffs and sing-along choruses sure to have you shouting at the top of your lungs and burning up the fret board of your air guitar. There is a near-perfect blend of double-kick speedsters and mid-tempo anthems that makes the album flow easily, never bogging down or descending into a blur of white noise. Even the "ballad", "Never Stop Believing" rocks pretty hard. Iron Savior are at the top of their game with Kill or Be Killed.
