| Track by Track Review
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| Disc One |
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Starlight
A dramatic opening with symphonic elements, sound effects and more starts this. From there, though, they power out into a killer metallic rocker. This is a real screamer that works very well. The guitar solo on this has a bit of a technical metal edge. |
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London Leatherboys
This is more of a straightforward metal tune. It’s hard rocking and more about power than it is about finesse. |
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I Don't Wanna Be Like You
A little slower and with more of a blues metal vibe, this is another killer tune. The gang chorus and overall structure makes this one more of a live anthem in a lot of ways. |
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Breaker
Coming in like a technical thrasher, this is furious. It’s a real powerhouse that just plain screams. I love the guitar solo section on this beast. |
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Slaves to Metal
On the one hand, this is a pretty straight ahead metal tune. The other side of that coin, though, is the guitar solo based instrumental section. That’s got a real technical metal element to it and is pretty spectacular. |
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Princess of the Dawn
Although there is no big change here, this is an effective rocker. It has some audience sing along and a solid metal groove. The real magic in this extended piece, though, comes in the jamming later in the piece. That starts with a bass solo and then works out into some killer guitar based instrumental work. There is more audience participation as this extended jamming continues and some neo-classical metal, too. At times it feels like a variant on “Hall of the Mountain King.” |
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Restless and Wild
The galloping riff that opens this is classy. The cut has almost a Megadeth vibe at times to my ears. Still, the vocals land it in pure Accept territory. |
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Son of a B***h
Well, this beast gets a lot of parental advisories on the lyrics. In fact, it almost feels like an excuse to just swear non-stop. While that’s a little juvenile, this rocks out alright. It just seems a bit average and cheesy. |
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This One's for You
Although this is essentially a take no prisoners metal tune, there are some intriguing explorations mid-track. |
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Bulletproof
This comes in with a melodic, mellower rock element. Still, later, they deliver a really mean metal sound. The riff driving that section is especially classy. This is one of the best tunes of the set. It has some great melodies and really rocks like crazy. There are quite a few shifts and changes on this. In fact, it’s one of the most dynamic numbers here. It’s also one of my favorites. |
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Too High to Get It Right
This killer rocker seems very much in line with Krokus and AC/DC. It’s a smoking hot grind. |
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| Disc Two |
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Metal Heart
This is really a powerhouse metal song. It’s heavy, mean and tasty. It has some impressive guitar work, too. There is an audience participation section at the end of this. |
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Fast as a Shark
Screaming in very furious, this one feels quite a bit like Judas Priest in some ways. It’s more along the lines of the “Painkiller,” thrash-like Priest sound, though. |
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Balls to the Wall
Krokus and AC/DC both share territory with this kind of song. It’s one of the most recognizable tunes here. It’s also one of the most infectious. They drop it back mid-track for some audience participation along with some more or less spoken stuff. The audience also takes over completely for a time after a false ending. The extended outro on this seems a little overlong and over the top. Of course, if you’d been in the audience it would have probably been great. It’s just taken out of the actual live venue that it seems that way. |
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What Else
Raw, straight ahead metal is the idea here. This has some class and some style. It’s also got a jam mid-section that’s more in line with technical metal. |
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Sodom and Gomorra
Aggressive and raw, this is another screamer. It’s a good tune, but not really a standout. Still, it has some definite charms. They also include a full on classical turned metal treatment mid-track. |
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The Beast Inside
I love this song. It’s a killer mid-tempo metal song with a mean riff that really drives it. |
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Bad Habits Die Hard
A straight ahead hard rocking number, this is not bad, but not really special, either. |
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Stone Evil
There are definitely musical ties to more epic styled metal on this cut. Judas Priest is a valid reference point, too. This is a screamer and another that’s among the better tunes here. |
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Death Row
This is more of a straightahead metal groove number. It’s energetic and tasty. It’s not exceptional, though.
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