Review by Felix on October 28, 2021.

I remember the day I saw the advertisement of Shrapnel Records in one of the first magazines of the German Metal Hammer. Trauma: Scratch and Scream! Hexx: No Escape! Griffin: Flight of the Griffin! And last but not least: Chastain: Mystery Of Illusion! I suddenly realized that this was an outstanding moment in my metal fan existence – four power/speed metal albums in one swoop. Four! Four! What an almost surreal number back in 1984. Okay, today we get four new interesting metal albums every hour, but this was quite different almost 40 years ago. The only problem was these distant jewels were not licensed in Germany and to buy imports was a very expensive business for a pupil like me who was chronically short of cash.

Well, today all these albums have found their way to my metal buddy and me and Chastain’s debut sounds still fresh, honest and, sorry for that, slightly narcissistic every now and then. It was the time of guitar heroes and David was obviously a fan of his own solos. Apart from the soft beginning, his (surely virtuoso) guitar solo is the rather average part of 'I Fear No Evil', an actually strong track. Due to its straight and direct design, it hits the bull’s eye. But after all, it’s not David who gives the album its most characteristic feature. This is, of course, Leather’s ingenious voice. She was and still is the best female voice in metal. She sounds powerful, but still like a woman and not like a man or a dog with sore throat (greetings to Holy Moses in this context). Moreover, leather does every song justice, her vocals are flexible, and they reinforce the individual atmosphere of each and every tune.

38 years after its first release, Mystery Of Illusion is a document of an early, original kind of power metal with some speed metal ingredients. Some galloping guitars show up, some up-tempo parts increase the dynamic. Chastain writes in the line notes that the musicians were heavily influenced by Dio and Sabbath, but when listening to the record, it gets quickly clear that they were able to transform their inspirations into something of their own. The material has a profound heaviness, it avoids an overly radio-friendly number and stands on its own feet. Additionally, the production puts all instruments and, of course, Leather’s contribution into the right light. Given these facts, it’s no surprise that the debut has withstood the test of time, even though it does not hold the best songs of the band, at least in my humble opinion. Especially 'The Black Knight', the opener that Chastain calls the “hit” of the album, kicks off the album in a rather ordinary way.

Anyway, there are no real downers as well and the four-piece masters the balladic sequences as well as the heavy parts. For those who do not know the material so far, I recommend lending an ear to the representative title track with its emotional beginning, the typical Chastain riffing, the surprisingly present bass guitar, the well-designed chorus and naturally Leather's brilliance. The more I listen to this track or the speedy 'I've Seen Tomorrow', the more I think it’s time for a little Shrapnel Records retro session.

Rating: 7.3 out of 10