Fall into Madness

Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we are talking about fucking Steel Attack. Having suffered the same fate as most power metal bands from that decade (a decline into the realm of experimental non-catchy suckfest pseudo prog toadshit because fun and fast melodic speed metal is apparently something that one has to grow out of), Steel Attack only released one album that can be considered a real and lasting classic in the power metal world. But what a classic it is. Just look at that wonderful cover artwork. Son of a delightful bitch motherfucker of the crucified pope penis, this shit fucking rules so hard beyond redemption. Why can't all power metal albums be as cool as this one?

A lot of power metal bands rely on their harmonic, layered vocal lines and don't really expand in the guitar section, they just slam some simple, almost atonal rhythm chords into the air and cover that shit up with effective chorus work that hides everything else underneath. Steel Attack disagree with this method because these guys don't only know how to play their guitars, they also fucking do it. Like Stormwarrior on Northern Rage or Blind Guardian on Somewhere Far Beyond, they are deeming the riffs as important as the vocals and this results in one of the most full hearted power metal albums of all time. Every dark lord of the evil something something gets fucked into the dirt with drawn swords of justice and addictive true metal tunes and I like that a lot.

High speed riff attacks over generous double bass thundering, enough heroic and adventurous lead guitar melodies to fill up several sword and sorcery movies and a singer that never was the king of his kind but always so goddamn charming, passionate and enthusiastic that you wouldn't wish for anyone else to howl those buzzwords like "sword", "steel", "king" and "fire" through your ears. Steel Attack did everything right on this one and EVERY song has a fast and fun chorus that is addictive as fuck.

There is something so magical and almost innocent about the power metal records from that time and I still can't find the same spirit in most power metal releases today that are offering more professionalism than heart and are imitating everything without celebrating their individuality. "Fall into Madness" has enough balls to stand up for itself and is just so damn sure in his mission that it's hard to escape that boyish scent of colourful rage.

Oh, God. It's another one of those damn cheesy Power Metal bands. We want to make fun of them; to say that they suck, but . . . but goddamn, their shit is so catchy!

Such are the feelings many people have when they listen to bands like Rhapsody, Elvenking and Kamelot. Steel Attack is no exception to this rule. Their high-intensity guitar playing generally a bit faster than most other similar Power Metal, but they have all the qualities of bands similar in nature to their own. The guitar playing is fast paced, and the solos are at blinding speed. The vocals are generally quite high and soaring, and the drums are solid foundation beats. The bass seems to be hard to pick up on in the music, but in general they have a very good sound. Lyrics range from tales of epic battles to warnings of The Beast of No Religion. In short, they're fast, powerful and fruity as an orchard.

There are some excellent songs on here. Fall Into Madness features some powerful opening riffs that explode into a can-do-no-wrong opening riffset. The Beast has catchy guitar work, although the vocals are a bit lame. Guardians has a great opening few riffs, and has a chorus that is notably better than the one in The Beast. Wings of Faith has a great opening riff that leads into a pretty powerful chorus, and the same can be said for Clearing the Mind. In general, Steel Attack tends to feature really cool opening riffs that they follow up on with solid songs, unlike some OTHER bands we know.

They're not perfect. The songs can tend to get a little repetitive, and the vocals are not as strong overall as some other Power Metal bands--Steel Attack's strength definitely lies in their guitar work. As I said, this is a staple sound for fans of the genre. Me, I think it makes excellent driving music when I'm in the mood for cruisin' around Atlanta. If you like the genre, you won't want to miss this well-done album.