Review by Felix on October 13, 2024.

Holy steel, what’s that? It is great! It is wow! It is Bang! Bang! Bang! Okay, I beg your pardon for this infantile introduction, but Steel Inferno’s fourth full-length Rush Of Power drives me to the edge of madness. I cannot sit still, I am jumping through my apartment as if I am 18 again and tomorrow all my bones will make me believe that I am already 80 years old. But who cares? Good music must be celebrated – and ha, I am such a loser to call the content of Rush Of Power just good music. It is awesome, outstanding, second to none!

What do you say? It is time to become more rational again? Probably you are right. But heavy metal in its many forms can be a very resilient bridge on the way to euphoria and I am happy that I still find the right bridge occasionally. Guess this is no matter of course after all these years of steely listening sessions which create many shades of grey. Of course, I knew that Steel Inferno have already released very strong stuff on their previous works, anyway, at least with the best tracks of Rush Of Power the multi-national quintet from Denmark takes the next steps on its way to immortal fame. These songs present such a fiery combination of thrash metal, speed metal, and old-school flair that it is almost impossible to resist their impact. How many tracks can boast with the intensity, the energy, the adrenalin, and the restlessness of 'Power Games'? Think about the answer for at least three years, you won't be able to come up with an acceptable song before then. The guitars drill into your ear canals, your brain, and your entire attitude. One feels immediately better after the first taut guitar tones and the short high-pitched scream of Chris Rostoff. By the way, this guy performs incredibly on Rush Of Power. In pitch and appearance, he embodies the metal singer prototype. His way of screaming is an element that connects Steel Inferno firmly with the golden age of heavy, speed and thrash metal. The casual artwork is another element that looks like being cut from the eighties.

'Power Games' has not completely sucked your blood? The immediately following 'Electrocuter' (sounds like a title of U.D.O.) does the rest. Another very fast-paced, compact, and extremely direct track. Just like 'Power Games', it is crowned by its ingenious chorus. I have no idea whether these dry as dust, straightforward and torpedo-like pieces wear out quickly - but my inner voice, steeled after over 40 years of listening to hard music, screams “no”. This goes for 'The Blitz' as well. Rostoff, not too far away from Overkill’s Blitz, revitalizes the mid-eighties with his vocals, and twin guitar leads to form a fantastic and fanatic instrumental part, and the Taylor-made riffing reflects pure perfection and everything, really everything goes hand in hand. Sometimes I already wrote about bands that act like a well-oiled machine, but maybe some of them are just half-baked robots compared with Steel Inferno. Perhaps you did not get it so far, but: I am impressed. Highly impressed. If I will make a personal best of 2024 mix tape, these tracks will be included.

The mixture of Priest (“Defenders Of The Faith”), Accept (“Balls To The Wall”), Slayer (“Show No Mercy” and Overkill (“Feel The Fire”) works excellently. Naturally, this cannot make us wonder considering these noble ingredients. Steel Inferno are more than a fresh breeze, they unleash a storm that blows the shit out of my (and eventually your) rotten brain. The opening 'The Abyss' is the first express train that rolls straight over the listener, fuelled by blazing emotions, pure metallic passion, and nearly breathtaking velocity. This track knows what an opener has to do and it fulfils its duty. It promises a whole lot of neck-breaking fun over the next 34 minutes and kicks the door wide open to Steel Inferno's mesmerizing art. Okay, in order to describe the whole picture, it is maybe appropriate to say that a very few parts feature comparatively light-speed metal, for example, a melodic, pretty airy instrumental section in 'Hunt The Rush'. This facet is probably necessary to avoid an album that suffers from one-dimensionality. During these rare parts, Steel Inferno are still far away from making a mediocre delivery, but in comparison to the album’s highlights, the temperature is rather low.

The production, hell yes, what can I say? Possessed’s “Beyond The Gates” is still the prime example of how a bad mix can really hurt outstanding songwriting. But Rush Of Power (its title reminds me pleasantly of early Iron Angel – and so does its musical content) sounds truly flawless. The single components are extremely well-balanced, the guitars do not lack sharpness or force, and the music goes straight in your face. 'Attack' is not only the title of the last larger-than-life track but it could be also written in big letters about the production. By the way, this song shows once again the beauty of simple yet pinpoint and lean structures. Great verses, a wild yet catchy chorus, a cool solo section, a slower mid-part, and a furious ending – so old, so evergreen, if it is done well. Finally, 'Coven In The Dark' (no, this is no cover version of a forgotten King Diamond track) brings the album to a convincing end, hailing bands like Omen during their best period which resulted in “Warning To Danger”. Over and out, the battle smoke is slowly vanishing. So here is my no-frills conclusion for this no-frills album: hot candidate for the album of the year. Bang! Even more Bang! Total Bang!

Rating: 9.2 out of 10