Imagine my pleasant surprise when I started listening to Skull Fist's second album, Chasing the Dream, and realizing it wasn't Skull VIEW, a band I really don't like that much. Instead of the latter's choppy collections of pseudo-epic crunch, I was instead treated so some bright, up-tempo traditional Heavy Metal, which is much more my speed. Skull Fist's sound is rooted in the melodic riffs and twin guitar leads pioneered by Iron Maiden with high-pitched vocals that make comparisons to Witch Cross and Thundersteel-era Riot not inaccurate. The lyrics are typical for this type of music, dealing mostly with the Rock and Roll lifestyle. To be honest, you've heard this album a thousand times already but the songwriting is very catchy and performances are energetic, both of which overshadow the lack of originality.
Fans of Enforcer, Katana, et al will surely appreciate what Skull Fist are laying down on Chasing the Dream, and it is just different enough from those other acts to make this a worthy addition to any Traditional Metal collection.
