Steelwing's debut from 2010 Lord of the Wasteland didn't really grab me. I spun it a few times and liked it OK, but it never got its hooks into me. I can't say the same about this new one, because I have been playing it a lot ever since I got it. Without changing their style or attitude, Steelwing have just made a much better album.
On this disc, Steelwing wear their Scanner influence right up front for everyone to see. Between the sci-fi themes, the energetic riffing, and the high-pitched wailing of singer Riley, this is like the logical progression from Hypertrace. The album opens in fine form with "Solar Wind Riders" and then segues right into the anthemic "Full Speed Ahead". Not every song is gold, and tunes like the cock-rock "Breathless" and the rather dull "Tokkotai" drag down the proceedings, but then the title track is awesome, and even the ten-minute "Lunacy Rising" is entertaining, even if it didn't need to be that long.
The high points on this album are so good that you want to overlook the rest of it, but the fact remains that this is an uneven disc. It has a lot of energy, and a few fine songs, but while it's fun, it doesn't have much substance.
