Music: Heavy Metal
Website: http://steelassassin.com
Country: U.S.A.
Cool songs: Hawkwood, Curse of the Black Prince, Merchants of Force, Barabbas
STEEL ASSASSIN are a real American heavy metal veteran. Formed in 1982, do not have a rich musical oeuvre, limited only to two long plays: From the Vaults and currently reviewed War of the Eight Saints. Receiving enthusiastic comments, it is a real pity, that such band had so huge breaks in performance. First demo tape appeared in 1984. Than, the potential fans had to wait for the next material till 1997! And then again, a pause till 2006, when a demo titled War of the Eight Saints Sampler was brought to life. Since then, it was a while when the full-length album visited the shops.
This album by no means shows, that we have a pleasure to listen to a classic representative of classic heavy metal, definitely from the upper shelf. If heavy metal had had a shelf similar to the one with the great rock legends, STELL ASSASSIN, even despite of their poor oeuvre, definitely would have sat on it, somewhere in between IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST. Not extremely sophisticated music, but very crafty and of high standards. Keeping up with appearances and most of all – enjoyable. This heavy metal has one characteristic feature – a thrash tune, which enriches the sound and makes it more universal, though unable to put it into one drawer. A chest of drawers would be needed to parcel this music. Simple beats, ideas and sounds, although performed with powerful dose of enthusiasm and containing strong addition of fully developed musical guts. It is not music for crybabies, rather for little rascals and tomboys, fascinated by the old heavy metal scene, with all its rawness, energy, power, ripeness, innovation and originality, plus noise! This music will leave a deep wound in the soul of everyone who would listen to it. And those will be wounds till death – this music will not leave your entrails. It is as good as heaven, although made in hell.
War of the Eight Saints is an interesting and quite original as for today, heavy metal proposition. There is no need of comparing it with the sound of the bigwigs, who had the opportunity to develop through all these years. This album deserves a place in the hall of fame, because this music managed to achieve all that other bands were building with huge effort throughout years. Authenticity, originality and style. All hail before STEEL ASSASSIN, kings of the lost decades!
note: 9.5/10
Tracklist
1. Hawkwood
2. Curse of the Black Prince
3. Hill of Crosses
4. Sword in the Stone
5. Merchants of Force
6. Bloodlust Quest
7. Tartarus
8. Metalfire
9. Victory
10. Barabbas
11. War of the Eight Saints
Total playing time 64:14
Line-up
John Falzone – vocals
Kevin Curran – guitars
Mike Mooney – guitars
Phil Grasso – bass
Greg Michalowski – drums
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