With a name like Sleazer, you can count on this Italian group playing '80s-inspired music, but don't let the name fool you into thinking it is some glam/hair pop metal. On the band's second album, Deadlights, it is a pure, traditional heavy metal attack that hits you right between the eyes. Clear vocals, catchy choruses, and some great riffs are what Sleazer trades in, often with speed to spare. It is the faster songs where I think Sleazer shine the most and I could listen to them blast through "Deadlights," "Of Storm and Steel," or "At the Edge of Madness" (listed as a bonus track but it seems to be on all the formats currently available) over and over. The lead work is gold, recalling guitar heroes from the US scene like George Lynch and Warren DeMartini. There are a couple of duds, namely "Sarnath," which is dull, and "All My Words Inside," Sleazer's "ballad" which is dull and slow. Otherwise, I can't think of a bad song, especially if you are like me and love Dokken's Tooth and Nail, Disillusion from Loudness, and current bands like Striker, Skull Fist, Traveler, etc. Deadlights is available on CD from the small Steel Shark Records label as well as a download from Bandcamp, but I have to think one of the bigger labels is bound to pick these guys up as they are the real deal.