Blood Hails Steel - Steel Hails Fire

Despite their awesome name, I was unimpressed with Megaton Sword's debut EP, Niralet, from last year. It was okay, but no better than that. That's just a way of saying how much more impressed I am by their full-length debut, as this is a much more ambitious project, and it pulls off a lot of that ambition with real style.

This is very broadly in the school of what is sometimes called the New Wave of True Heavy Metal, along with bands like Eternal Champion and Midnight Priest. There is some similarity to Eternal Champion here, as well as some riffs that remind me of Battleroar and a definite influence from classic Manilla Road. The production is solid if not spectacular, though better than on the debut. The riffage is pure old-fashioned metal goodness, and the vocals are a slightly nasal warble that still pack a lot of personality. There may be no real ace songs on here, but the whole album is enjoyable all the way through.