Review by Adam M on April 30, 2026.

This was a good album that was similar to their early work, but possibly more commercial to a certain extent.  It is also full of classic tracks like “Before the Dawn”.  There are many nice moments here and a ve3ry accessible flavour that is superior to their British Steel album.  It is an easy album to pick up and play and quite a fun listen overall.

The musicianship is good with great vocals and a guitar attack that is second to none.   The production is good for an early album and the overall effect of the musical performances is to be as classy and effective as possible.  There is nothing that is overly glossy on the album and it is more of a vintage type recording.

The flaw with the album is that it is not as good as Sad Wings of Destiny or Stained Class.  It is instead an album that has its own process and is still a good one in its own right.  There is not the progressive flair of Sad Wings of Destiny, but this is still really great stuff overall.  It has the right level of interesting elements to make for a good listen.

The overall feeling of the album is that it is one of the better ones in their discography and has the right number of classic tracks.  It is still eclipsed by a few of their other albums and not the absolute best thing the band has recorded.  Fans of the band will like it because of the traditional flavour and heavy metal feel it has.

Rating: 7.3 out of 10