I would imagine I'm not the first to say this, but it's too bad Randy's old band W.A.S.P. and Blackie Lawlass can't put out this quality of material. It's not even CLOSE! Piper and the boys manage to capture the spirit of the 80's Metal without sounding too retro. The collaboration with Swedish guitarist/producer Chris Laney is a match made in Heaven. Laney's production skills are amazing as he makes the material reach out an slap your face.

Vocalist Rich Lewis sounds a little like Blackie but more powerful. He reminds me of another guy from the late 80's named David Reece, who took over for Udo on the 1989 Accept album "Eat The Heat". Bottom line is the guy has amazing pipes and brilliant control of his voice.

Now, having said all these great things, I should point out the material isn't exactly ground-breaking, but I for one don't care. Piper knows what people expect from him, great Metal and he delivers. I don't think they are trying to be anything more than a kick-ass band! As a fan of this style, I appreciate this immensely. Will Blackie Lawless is too busy trying to impress critics, Piper and the boys are just kicking ass, which is really what Metal is all about!

Some of the strong points are "Cardiac Arrest", "Unnatural High" and "Shoot To Kill", but I would venture to say everyone will have their favorites. There's no filler here, and there's even a AOR style "Don't Wanna Die", that could have been out of an 80's Soundtrack, with an updated sound of course.

In conclusion, 15 years ago this would have been musically incorrect. Now we realize that this form of Metal is timeless and we appreciate the artform more than ever. If you like your Metal with a little Melody to go along with the crunch, you'll love this one. I just hope Mr. Lawless listens and pulls his head out of his ass!