Under A Savage Sky

Commercially, the grunge/Nirvana/Pearl Jam/alternative rock upheaval of the early '90s wasn't the end of '70s/'80s-style power metal/fantasy metal, but it did send it underground. The days when a metalhead can turn on MTV's Headbangers Ball to catch the latest Iron Maiden or Ronnie James Dio video are long gone; nonetheless, there's still an audience for power metal. Veteran headbangers continue to tour and, in some cases, their opening acts are younger power metal bands that came along in the late '90s or early 2000s. Guitarist Jack Starr (formerly of Virgin Steele) is among the veterans who were keeping busy in 2002 when he put together a new power metal outfit called Guardians of the Flame (GOF) and recorded Under a Savage Sky. By post-1991, post-Nevermind standards, this type of music is considered dated or old school; GOF's material sounds like it could have been recorded in the late '70s or early to mid-'80s. But if jazz still has room for Dixieland combos that play in a '20s style a la King Oliver or Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five, there's no reason why headbangers of all ages shouldn't record power metal -- as long as it's well done. And Under a Savage Sky is well done. GOF has a passionate, expressive lead vocalist in Shmoulik Avigal (who is Dutch but has no problem singing in perfect English), and Starr's writing is quite consistent. Like Dio, Maiden, Helloween, Judas Priest, and Queensryche back in the '80s, this CD operates from the belief that power metal should be both aggressive and melodic -- loud and forceful as well as musical and intricate. Under a Savage Sky is far from groundbreaking, but those who still can't get enough of the classic power metal/fantasy metal sound will find a lot to enjoy about this solid effort. ~ Alex Henderson