It isn't often a band reminds me so much of another band without actually ripping them off. Invasion, the debut from New Jersey's Fiakra, could easily be a lost Anvil album. Chugging riffs, frantic solos and howling vocals, all trademarks of the Canadian legends, are present in full force on Invasion. The songs are equally cheesy with titles like "Give Me Metal or Give Me Death" and "Knee Deep in the Dead" giving clear insight in to the minds of Fiakra. Kenny "Warlord" Burdge, who also handles lead guitar, is not a particularly great singer. He bellows with gusto and can scream nearly as high as Dan Beehler, but he's off-key in quite a few places. Some of the songs are decent, in spite of the vocal shortcomings, but others don't work at all. "Guardian of Ice" could be cool but the stiff, unmelodic chorus is a deal-breaker. There is a wildness to the bands' playing that is, no doubt, by design and I actually kind of like it, but the mixing undermines it with some clumsy edits.
If you are big fan of Anvil (and maybe Exciter), Invasion is probably going to right up your alley with its unashamedly Rock ‘N' Metal style. If you aren't, you can give it a pass.