Review by Jophelerx on June 11, 2024.

NWOBHM was a pretty fast movement; if you didn't have something out by '83, you weren't going to be commercially successful. By the mid-1980s, the masses had moved on from NWOBHM and were onto thrash; there simply wasn't a market for the music anymore. However, that didn't stop tons of bands from trying to cash in a bit late to the party or branching out in other directions, and while this most often led to disaster, there are some pretty mature non-NWOBHM efforts by British bands in the mid-to-late 80s; Elixir's Son of Odin, Full Moon's debut, Desolation Angels' debut, and the Cloven Hoof albums with Russ North stand among the best of those. While 1988's Dominator wasn't a complete flop, the spotty songwriting and sub-par production put it well below their 1989 crowning achievement, A Sultan's Ransom.

The style here is a bit more mature version of Dominator; namely, power metal with strong NWOBHM leanings, not surprising given the band's history. The galloping leads and youthful energy could easily have fit in a few years earlier, but the more mature riffing and guitar harmonies mark this clearly as its own beast, and that's not to mention Russ Fucking North on vox. Possessing one of the most powerful midranges out there and an upper register that pierces the stratosphere, the closest comparisons I can make are either a cleaner, deeper Bruce Dickinson or perhaps a more sober Glen May (of Tyrant). His occasional use of multi-tracking is laudable ("Mistress of the Forest" especially), and the guitar tone, unlike Dominator, is loud and up front, with a damn nice squealing quality that just screams '80s in the best way possible.

The song structures are pretty simple, but there are very few songs here that aren't absolute winners. "Mad, Mad World" is the only song I have any real complaint about, and that's due to the fact that it sounds like glam rock, and not good glam rock at that. I'm not really sure what the band was thinking here; every other song is on target, but this one just stinks. The rest of the album is Russ North soaring over huge, catchy hooks and speedy solos that leave nothing to be desired. "Astral Rider" and "Mistress of the Forest" are especially good, but overall the thing's just a giant platter of squealing metal ready to be digested. Highly recommended, one of the best power metal albums of the 80s.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10