Battle Cry

1984 was undoubtedly a banner year for traditional metal releases, with seminal albums by Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate, Jag Panzer, Judas Priest, Cirith Ungol, Dio, Manowar, Armored Saint, and others. And in the midst of it all stands "Battle Cry," the debut by Los Angeles metal outfit Omen.

On "Battle Cry," Omen helped to define the more epic side of the burgeoning USPM movement, taking their NWOBHM influences and adding an epic, swords-and-sorcery sensibility. Frontman JD Kimball, rather than using the high pitched, operatic vocals that were common at the time, instead possesses a gritty, two-pack-a-day rasp that conjures up images of a wizened old storyteller on tracks like the ominous "Dragon's Breath" and the title track. Guitarist Kenny Powell dishes out fast paced Maiden-style triplet riffs, driving along songs like "Die By The Blade" and "Last Rites." The bass is very present, and provides a strong, melodic backing to Powell's riffs. Songs like "Prince Of Darkness" and "Death Rider" delve into the speedier side of USPM, with fast double bass drumming and palm-muted riffs. Lyrically, the album is chock full of Conan-esque goodness, with tales of dragons, gladiators, and sex. Yeah, "Be My Wench" can be a little unintentionally hilarious, but I've got a soft spot in my heart for the USPM sex jams ("Feeling Free Again", anyone?) and the fast riffing and Kimball's hoarse, sleazy swagger is just too much to deny. The awkward lovemaking songs aren't the only comparison that can be drawn to USPM titans Manilla Road, as they share a similar riffing style and epic atmosphere.

For anyone looking to get into USPM, this album is a must, standing tall with titans such as "Ample Destruction" and "Crystal Logic" in terms of sonic power and influence.

If Omen could be said to have only one thing going for them on their debut album, Battle Cry, it would be that it is utterly cohesive. Everything has its place, and fits together seamlessly like pieces of a puzzle - a puzzle that magically melds together after it's assembled, leaving no trace that it was ever fragmented in the first place. The riffs, the vocals, the song structures, the lyrics, the bass, the album art - they all work together flawlessly to paint a picture of the medieval battle scene that's so obvious on the album's cover. Hell, even the production only adds to the aesthetic, the icing on our proverbial cake. The thick, meaty guitar tone slices the listener like a headsman's axe or a warrior's broadsword, while easily remaining catchy enough to keep the listener's attention.

Luckily, this complete cohesion is not the only thing they have going for them; they go beyond painting a flawless picture and also deliver a heartfelt, enjoyable musical experience, crafted through savagely infectious riffs and solos, and an absolutely barbaric and charismatic vocal performance from the legendary J. D. Kimball. Besides which, the members of Omen are absolutely fantastic at writing songs. The riff progressions are as seamless and organic as everything else about the album, and they end before any of the riffs or melodies have the chance to grow stale; Omen are graced with the ability to know exactly how long they can utilize an idea, and they take full advantage of that knowledge, milking it as much as possible before it runs dry. Such being the case, the songs don't show so much as a hint of progressive elements, with each song usually only consisting of only about three or four riffs, and generally running with the tried and true verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus structure. Most of the songs also have intro riffs, and a couple of them are unorthodox, such as the bass solo at the beginning of "Prince of Darkness" or the acoustic guitar leading into "Into the Arena", but that's about as experimental as they get.

Stylistically, the album takes a lot of influence from NWOBHM, and occasionally seems as if it wouldn't be out of place in an early Iron Maiden or Angel Witch album; considering it came out in 1984, that's understandable. Power metal was in its most formative years, with most landmark releases not coming out until 1984 itself, and only a handful of releases, such as Queensryche's self-titled EP and Manowar's Into Glory Ride, having already come out. In fact, Omen don't really show any influence from Queensryche or Manowar here, and their relatively similar style is more a case of convergent evolution than anything else; Omen took the classic heavy metal and NWOBHM in a similar direction to that of Queensryche and Manowar.

Aesthetically, there's no question that Battle Cry stands firmly in the power metal camp; they take NWOBHM riffs and play them faster, with different songwriting structures, and with more aggressive vocal lines. One could even argue that there's a hint of speed metal here and there, although it's definitely dominated by power. Along with Manilla Road, Omen could also be said to be pioneers of the epic metal genre; while their song structures aren't as unorthodox as Manilla Road's, they definitely evoke a similarly epic atmosphere; while perhaps not "epic power metal", per se, they definitely play power metal with a decent-sized dash of epic.

There's definitely no one quite like J. D. Kimball out there; while he wasn't the only singer in the 80s to use a rasp and sort of howl and roar melodically rather than sing, exactly, his particular brand of 5-packs-a-day charm is pretty unique. He sounds like nothing more than a desperate, battle-scarred warrior ready to decapitate or be decapitated if the situation calls for it, which it frequently does here. His vocals are perfect for lines like "Bow down to the axeman!" or "You'll live by the sword...you'll die by the blade!", and the riffs and solos complement him perfectly, catering to his voice flawlessly.

Every song here is a winner, although the last two take a slight dip in quality. There are no crappy power ballads, no guitar masturbation a la Manowar, no acoustic interludes. Some lean a little bit more towards gritty heavy metal, while others lean towards epic power metal, but as I stated earlier, the album is cohesive enough that you really can't distinguish any difference of style between songs. The crushing riffs of "The Axeman" are not only in the same ballpark as the catchy soloing of "Die By the Blade", they're sitting in the same row of seats. Even "Be My Wench", which takes a lyrical hiatus, as Kimball roars about having his way with a woman - albeit in the same savage medieval setting - the songwriting doesn't change. He howls "Be my...be my...be my wench tonight!" with the same ferocity as he shrieks "BATTLE CRYYYY!!!!", and the guitars continue to back him up.

"Bring Out the Beast" is in the same style, the only problem is, the riffs aren't quite up to par, and it shows. It's still decent enough to be fairly enjoyable, but it won't have you headbanging and roaring along with Kimball like the rest of the album. "Into the Arena" is a bit better than "Bring Out the Beast", but it's still lacking that same charm and power that the rest of the album retains; that said, it's definitely an enjoyable song, and these two do little to tarnish the album's greatness. If you've yet to check out Omen's debut album, do so immediately - it's a pinnacle of USPM, and you won't be disappointed.

For those of you that have the misconception of power metal being some sissy genre full of pansies frolicking around a campfire telling tales of dragons and fair maidens, look at that album cover and then go through the that thought process again. Omen's "Battle Cry" is far from a lightweight of a metal album, and 28 years later, this record still kicks copious amounts of asses. A pretty decent, one-sentence descriptor of this band would be Dianno-era Iron Maiden on crack.

Kimball's vocals aren't quite as epic or melodious as those of Warrel Dane, Hansi Kursch or even Rob Halford, but they suit the music perfectly. Kimball's vocals are definitely a bit more rough than the singers that were just mentioned, but that reflects Omen's music perfectly as they aren't as melodic as bands like Sanctuary or the European power metal bands, they were just fast, heavy and catchier than your everyday metal band. Just take a listen to the chorus of "Dragon's Breath" and within minutes of hearing that song the riffs and vocals will be stomping through your head, forcing you to replay the song to hear "Give us all, Sanctuary! Dragon's Breath! We Fear!"

Another amazing aspect of "Battle Cry" is that there isn't much variation that goes on throughout the album, yet every song is memorable and doesn't bore the listener. A lot of the songs feature some melodic pieces, though they are usually faster, like on the intro to the track "Last Rites," mixed with some nice riffs that aren't anything too special, but they get your headbanging and mesh with everything else perfectly. The Maiden influence on this album is definitely prominent, but being a massive Maiden fanboy I see no harm in that. The riff that kicks off the song "Die By the Blade" absolutely reeks of "Killers" influence and a lot of the standard riffing that goes on like on the song "Death Rider" really owe a lot to the British masters.

"Battle Cry" is definitely a landmark album, for not only US power metal, but the entire power metal genre in general with its more violent approach to the lyrics and artwork, as well as its undeniable catchy, anthem-like choruses and riffs. If this album isn't one that you have got to yet, or one that you found to be entirely unenjoyable, then you had better lock your doors because the Axeman will have you bound and gagged.

Highlights
"Death Rider"
"Last Rites"
"Battle Cry"

Originally written for Nightmare Reality Webzine.
nightmarerealitywebzing.blogspot.com

Rather than giving a miniature genealogical lecture on what USPM is and where it came from and what varieties there are with various attendant examples, I’ll spare us both the time and just present a pair of simplified but serviceable similes. White-collar USPM is like Prince Hamlet; it’s intellectual, philosophical, filled with existential angst, preoccupied with mortality, and on occasion even teeters on the brink of insanity (Crimson Glory’s “Lost Reflection” provides us with an apt example of this last quality). Can’t you imagine Geoff Tate or Midnight contemplating Yorick’s skull and wailing out some great high note? On the other hand Blue-collar USPM, if you haven’t guessed from the title of the review, is like Conan the Barbarian. It’s violent, muscular, visceral, and preoccupied with mortality as well; but rather than its own, it’s preoccupied with the mortality of its enemies, people who stand in its way, people who have something it wants, people who may or may not have looked at it funny, and a lot of the time just people at random. Kidding aside, of course one’s own death is still dealt with (this is metal, you can’t spit without hitting a gravestone), on this album by songs such as “Last Rites” and “In the Arena”. But rather than exploring the inherent meaning of death and what it means for us, and musing on the afterlife or lack thereof as white-collar USPM so often does (like in Fates Warning’s “The Apparition”), the blue-collar variety tends to do the reverse in attempting to give death meaning not through what comes afterwards, but what comes before; ideally a life of bravery and large deeds (the gladiator from “In the Arena” may lose, but he does so in a glorious spectacle, while “Last Rites” laments the absence of such glory in the gallows).

Now, don’t let that description lead you to believe that Omen or other blue-collar USPM bands are totally obsessed with morbidity like much of death metal, or sheer violence like a lot of thrash; an equally main theme here is, as I see it, freedom. Now, thrash does exhibit similar leanings, with many bands chafing visibly under the yoke of an oppressive society they hate, and voicing discontent either metaphorically or in many cases quite literally (Watchtower and others sounding sometimes like political talk radio). The difference, however, is that blue-collar USPM usually shows us the other side of the coin; yoke thrown off, freedom attained. Notice how Omen & pals are so energetic and ecstatic? Reminds me of euphoric kids hysterically racing out of school after the bell signals the end of the last day before summer vacation (think of that image next time you listen to Flight of the Griffin). Of course, freedom is not without its price, and there are dangers to be faced and overcome; however, they are almost always things like fell beasts and dread foes, to be defeated through force in cave or battlefield, with glory for the victor and an honorable death for the vanquished. I don’t think the Axeman has ever had to worry about acting nice to asshole customers in order to keep some shit job, or getting his income taxes in on time. “In the days of darkness, man feared not the sword and the lance, nor did he fear the beast of fire; he feared...THE TAXMAN!!!” No, I don’t think so. Of all the blue-collar USPM albums and all the different takes on the style's ideals that I’ve spent the last two paragraphs describing, I believe Battle Cry captures them better than any.

Even with the best of intentions, though, a band can end up with crap; luckily, Omen are more than capable of backing up their claims. When you hear a label plugging some new release as “carrying on the spirit of True Metal,” Omen epitomizes that spirit they’re talking about. They were calling Omen “True Metal” back when they first debuted, and though that term has become watered down these days and has all but lost its original meaning, there are few things that encapsulate Omen’s sound as well. If you take nothing else out of this review, remember “Conan” and “True Metal”, and you’ll still have a good idea of what Battle Cry sounds like. Nevertheless, to delve a little deeper: the first thing anyone will notice is the formidable mid-range bellow of frontman J.D. Kimball. His voice sounds like that of an NWOBHM bellower such as David Potter taken to its logical extreme; Kimball doesn’t bellow or even sing so much as roar melodically. Imagine Lemmy plus early Harry Conklin, and that will get you in the general ballpark. Yeah, Kimball’s been smoking and drinking for years and it shows (even moreso on subsequent albums), but living large hasn’t dampened his energy or power here in the least. Is it any wonder the man died long before retirement age? I’d be willing to bet he lived more in his relatively short life than most people would if they made it to a hundred and fifty. I could throw around more names to compare to Kimball, but I’d just be blowing smoke up your ass because no one compares to his combination of style, power, and charisma; he’s easily one of my favorite metal singers. As for the foundations of the album, the chunky, catchy riffs are an interesting and effective amalgamation of the inevitable NWOBHM influence, American proto-power stuff like Riot and Manowar, and a touch of thrash and speed; guitarist Kenny Powell was previously in Savage Grace, and it shows. Apparently he even wrote the songs “Battle Cry” and “Die by the Blade” for his former band, but Savage Grace didn’t want them! Their loss. Little lead-bits are thrown in here and there, too, but they’re not really typical; just listen to that opening segment of “Death Rider”, and try to tell me that’s an NWOBHM ripoff. Finally we have the production, and hot damn, in 1984 you’d be hard-pressed to find anything better. The mix is perfect, the guitar tone is nice and meaty, Kimball’s voice is front-and-center without drowning anything out, and even the bass is clearly audible. How they lucked into such a great sound I don’t know, but it’s the proverbial icing on the cake; what is a weakness in many USPM albums is one of Battle Cry’s strengths.

The songs themselves are generally in a brisk, aggressive, minor-key vein, typified by such gems as “Death Rider” and “The Axeman”. However, they deviate quite a bit here and there, with the excellent “Last Rites” being a bit slower; it goes for a “Hallowed Be Thy Name” kind of thing in terms of mood and lyrics (which I discussed back in the first paragraph), albeit from a slightly more detached narrative perspective rather than that of the condemned himself. It’s not quite as godly as Iron Maiden’s lengthy masterpiece, but then at under four minutes it’s clearly not trying to be either. “Dragon’s Breath” brings us back to the more upbeat mood of the opening two, and is yet another excellent song. After that we have “Be My Wench”, which is a point of some contention among fans, due to the sexual lyrical content; however, to me, it fits right in with their image in a way few other bands have been able to do with such subject matter. Rather than stumbling through cliché relationship nonsense or the “woman, you so fine” rock/pop holdover crap that metal usually descends to for such songs, Omen again bring to mind Conan with Kimball’s sheer violent, animal lust. Holding up the improved lyrics is the musical side of things, which is just as aggressive as on any of their other songs. Manowar didn’t get in touch with their feminine sides and talk about their feelings when they were raping daughters and wives, and neither do Omen. “Torture Me”, the band’s contribution to Metal Massacre V and a bonus track after “Be My Wench” on my version, is also in this same vein, except with an S&M flair. Again, a good take on romance without losing the metal aesthetic.

And then there is the title track. It’s easily one of the best of the album, and there’s just something so catchy about it that when I’m actually hearing it I have to drop everything and sing along; not with just that great gang chorus, but the entire thing. When I’m not even listening to it I still get the urge sometimes. A SMELL OF DEATH LINGERS IN THE AIR, BLOODSTAINED BODIES SCATTERED EVERYWHERE!!! Sorry, I couldn’t contain myself. The recurring shriek of “Battle CRRYYYYYYY” especially is awesome. “Die by the Blade” is another quality song in the vein of the first couple, but maybe not quite as legendary. “Prince of Darkness” however is better, especially the chorus (“do you know his name??”). “Bring out the Beast” is another one like “Be My Wench”, but unfortunately I’ve always found it to be a bit dull. It’s nothing blatant, just for some reason the spark that lights the rest of the songs seems to be absent here; this is compounded by the fact that it’s the second-longest song on the album at 4:10. However, all is quickly forgiven and forgotten when the clean minor-key intro to “In the Arena” ominously kicks into the pounding main riff. The atmosphere of this one is just really strong, with the melancholy hopelessness combining with the violence necessary to survive (of course, the gladiator in question doesn’t, adding to the poignancy of the song). Somehow it manages to be very epic while being just over 4 minutes long, and it’s one of those songs that feels a lot longer than it is, in a good way; the atmosphere sucks you in such that it feels timeless. A perfect end to a near-perfect album.

Speaking of track length, that’s something else Omen are very good at here; they know when to end a song, and don’t overextend any ideas (with the lamentable exception of “Bring out the Beast”, as I mentioned above). That is certainly a major contributing factor to the quality of the album, as the band knows that more isn’t always better, and that simplicity can be just as effective as complexity when done right. It’s a common misconception among metal bands and fans that a song must be long to be epic, but Omen prove that’s simply not true. I’d take any of the short-but-sweet songs here over some overblown “epic” like “Alexander the Great” or the ones Rhapsody write any day of the week. Every song is polished until it shines with class, and there is nothing misplaced or ill-advised in the songwriting; you can just tell the band members have a tremendous chemistry together and are not only all on the same page, but the very same letter as well.

One thing I’ve seen Omen accused of is being cliché, which to a certain extent is true; they do display a lot of the metal archetypes prominently (sword & sorcery-style fantasy lyrics, with dragonslaying, barbarians, etc.), but they do so with such skill and vigor that, despite conventional themes, I don’t think anyone could reasonably accuse them of being boring or even cheesy (besides, back in 1984 such themes were much less conventional in metal than they are today). Hell, over all the years I’ve owned this album I literally hadn’t even considered the possibility of anyone (let alone me) thinking of it as cheesy until I started writing this very review; Omen are just so dead serious that you believe everything without question. There is a review of Conan the Barbarian (the movie) that has a section in it which I found applies wonderfully to Battle Cry as well.

“The cool thing about Conan The Barbarian is how it takes its silly, episodic, and cartoonish story, and not only presents it straight, but presents it as if it were The Greatest Story of All Time. Conan, Cimmeria, and all of the other creations were never anything more than the product of the imagination of a drunk Texan, but director John Milius (who co-wrote the script with Oliver Stone) presents it all as if it’s a ‘real’ mythology - and what are myths, if not silly, episodic, and cartoonish? The important thing about myths is that once, people believed every word, and took it more seriously than their next meal. Conan the Barbarian is presented with absolutely no doubt about its stature among the greatest stories ever told.” – Brian J. Wright on Conan the Barbarian

Yes, Battle Cry is without a doubt one of the greatest metal albums, and one of my personal favorites as well. I bought it sometime in 2004 when I stumbled across the 3 disc reissue in a mall in Berlin; having recently started delving into odd corners of metal, I was inevitably smitten by the album art, replete with amateurishly drawn yet nevertheless enticing skull-headed barbarians standing amidst the fruits of slaughter. It was probably my third or fourth USPM album overall, and at that point I doubt I had even heard the term “USPM” before. Four years and many, many albums later (USPM and otherwise), and it’s still one of my favorites. Rather than diminishing in the face of countless comparisons, it’s only grown in my estimation; to me, the definition of a classic is something you can hold up to unbiased scrutiny time and time again and come away with high praise on each occasion. Battle Cry fits that description without a doubt.

Convinced you've heard everything the 80s had to offer in the way of traditional metal? Convinced bands such as Iron Maiden, Manowar, Metallica or [insert mainstream big band name] were the absolute cream of the crop? Music and metal in particular, has a way of surprising you, as this relatively unknown band from Los Angeles proves. The biggest surprise with Omen isn't that they destroy most, if not all, of the albums Manowar ever put out, and many of Iron Maiden's, it's with the elegance and ease with which they do so. Despite the somewhat juvenile theme of some of the songs, the extremely high caliber and class of this band is unmistakable and, quite frankly, a real fucking treat.

On first impression, Omen comes through as a slightly more up-tempo mix between the instrumental style of Iron Maiden (check ‘Last Rites’ for the most shining example!) and the lyrical theme and epic feel of (early) Manowar (check ‘Battle Cry’!). Not as obvious is the similarity to Manilla Road, especially apparent in the vocal melodies. The main difference between those two bands is the accessibility of the songwriting. Omen is much more straightforward and accessible band in that department. The flow to their songs is, to say the least, incredible, and their songwriting good enough to compete with the best.

That these are all very skilled and professional musicians doesn't hurt either. Most worthy of note are perhaps the guitars. They may be somewhat Iron Maiden (maybe some Warlord too?) inspired, but the melodies and riffs are simply outstanding, very tight and “creative”, and certainly never boring. The lead guitar isn’t allowed much room and the leads are for the most part short and concise, sometimes unremarkable, but the solo in ‘Death Rider’ for instance is not to be sneezed at. Something I’ve been paying more attention to lately is the fast and well-balanced drumming from Steve Wittig. The drumming in 'Death Rider' and ‘Into the Arena’ is undeniably top-class.

Of course, vocalist J.D. Kimball is not to be overlooked, as he's a perfect match for the band's sound, and a superb vocalist in his own right - certainly one of the best and most overlooked vocalists I’ve heard. Although he can't be said to possess an incredible range, his voice is just so pleasant to listen to, every line of his delivered with such genuine passion and feeling, it's no wonder that some of the melodies get stuck in my head for hours. One only has to listen to the first 30 seconds of 'Last Rites' for a demonstration (a warning for the chills that may be going down your spine is in order here...), or why not ‘Die by the Blade’ in full.

Battle Cry may not be a full-fledged masterpiece (90%+), mainly due to some consistency “problems”, but it's definitely a classic, in large part because of amazing, masterpiece-level songs such as ‘Death Rider’, ‘Dragon's Breath’, ‘Battle Cry’, ‘Die by the Blade’ and maybe ‘Last Rites’ and ‘Into the Arena’. If you're curious about the band, check out one of those – you’ll love it.

Considering how good this now 23 years old molten epic sounds today (it has aged very well), it must have been quite the revelation back in the 80s. The album gets minus points for some consistency problems, some of the lyrics, and bonus points for its incredible style and class and, of course, the intro to ‘Into the Arena’ 

If you haven’t heard Omen or their Battle Cry yet, you have a unique opportunity to revisit the 80s in all its glory – take it!

"...off in the distance the church bell rings and the raven spreads his wings..."

There are few albums that have blossomed a softer spot in me than Battle Cry. Immediate clickage. I don’t know why. There wasn't really anything tremendously powerful about it, the warrior’s blood atmosphere even back then wasn’t exactly a bastion of originality, and considering it was released at the tail end of ’84, it had the uproar of thrash to contend with, a style that was fighting to usurp the throne traditional metal held since the dawn of the decade.

What Omen did possess, however, is a confidence that was crystal clear to even my fourteen year old ears. Their sound is simultaneously smooth and rugged, controlled and classy without being pristinely clean, and differed from what Kenny Powell’s former band, Savage Grace, was concocting at the time. Honestly, SG had no bearing on my tastes as they had yet to touch my ears, and Powell for all I knew could’ve been the guy behind the deli counter down the street. In addition, I quickly grew addicted to J.D. Kimball’s (R.I.P.) trained mid-range - serenely courageous, calmly epic, composed and self-assured, occasionally gritty with sparks of ardor, no falsetto, and seemed to borrow from no one around him (and while the music does take on a Maiden-ish zing, Kimball fortunately doesn’t sound like either Dickinson or Di’Anno). A solid production draws points of articulation out of the record which the brutal cover concept couldn't possibly divulge.

The lp kicks in with the fairly conventional “Death Rider”, an acceptable opener that proved compelling enough for me to follow its lead all the way to the more animated “The Axeman” and a main riff that's valiant in its simplicity, meanwhile gifted solos swirl up to the edge of a despairingly-toned chorus. Top track “Last Rites” pummels into its entrance, part of which is moaned in by Kimball, who with his strong tenor inflects a wind of hopelessness over the rhythm's feverish pace, yet fails to capitulate even during the like-minded chorus. More ominous is the air of "Dragon's Breath", and its coarser vocals carry the threatening key rhythm to its dynamic chorus. “Be My Wench” has always seemed below the band’s standards to me as far as topics go, and despite its quick pace and outright vocal delivery, its an a-side finale that's never really peaked my interest.

Side two, however, erupts with a screeching guitar firestorm similar to, though less chaotic than Exciter’s “Oblivion”, the kick-off to their more-than-formidable, same year Violence & Force lp (plug plug), but for Omen, this uncharacteristic fit of fury lights a torch under "Battle Cry", a cool slow/mid-paced track whose chorus is symbolically set ablaze when Kimball purposely cuts loose aberrant screams (for him) to accentuate the song's namesake. Tandem guitar paints the start of traditional “Die by the Blade” with probably the most Maiden-heavy fluency on the disc, meanwhile other top tune, “Prince of Darkness”, masters the metallic flow of its frantic, gripping rhythm that smartly avoids overpowering the chorus. Along similar lyrical lines of “Be My Wench” is “Bring Out the Beast”, and as if infected by the decree of the song's title, a clandestine, yet noticeably rawer tone seeps from Kimball's pipes but is without overpowering influence, and it could be that topics of a festive nature actually did boil Kimball’s blood a few degrees warmer. The responsibility to end it all falls quite fittingly on the disc's most poignant track, "In the Arena" - its fatally heroic, near-constant, drone-like rhythm pushes the song's plot into its slow n' steady march across the coliseum, with the tale's narrative evinced with a grand sense of fatalism which only places the unfortunate pit fighter's last notions of living nearer death's door.

By the record's end, I’m once again awash in feelings of accomplishment, nostalgia and even victory, and no matter how often I crack open Battle Cry's gatefold sleeve and spin the damn thing, I can't not relive some of the magic that was conjured during its initial discovery some thirty five years ago. It also cemented this CA four-piece as another rose-colored discovery I'd pray wouldn’t slip down the steps of mediocrity with faltering follow-ups. Nope, no warning of danger here.

The inclusion of the band's '84 Metal Massacre IV contribution, "Torture Me", a strong, up-tempo number with similar "Be My Wench/"Bring Out the Beast", black leather-type lyrics coulda been an added treat, don'tcha think? I mean, there’s like twenty minutes of space goin' to waste here. Just sayin'.

“…soon Armageddon will come like the thunder, the prince will be blasted to Hell…”