I didn’t realise that it’s been four years sinceConquest’s last full length, a release that I enjoyed a lotand still do when the band plays one of their regular gigs inmy locality.

The question of whether this band should progressor not is one that I’ve thought about before and with thisnew album, it has reared its head again. After muchdeliberation, I concluded that Conquest Of Steel play heavymetal; there’s no frills to it, no female vocals to pander tocurrent trends, no keyboards, shudder at the thought, just

Genre: Heavy MetalNo Face Records

a resounding fist in the air salute to how metal should beplayed that kicks off with “All Men Must Die”. It’s predictablestuff, I grant you, but played with confident dexterity, andDan’s vocals feel a little more ambitious, with maybe anincrease in range, as the album shifts to the anthemic“Metal All The Time”. The Manowar like “Bring The Thunder”is clichéd, but so what? It chuffing works for me. Listeningto this, you always get the feeling you’ve heard the riffsbefore, but you haven’t – it’s just the way they’re playedkindling memories of yesteryear, such as what I feel is a

Scorpions like riff on “The Warrior & The Witch”. There aretons of solos on the album, as expected, giving your airguitar fingers plenty of exercise on “Mountain = Power”and “Vengeance And Steel”.

One thing is most definitely for certain: this rowdybunch of Bradford metallers have liquid steel coursingthrough their veins.

POWERPOINTS: 12345671234567123456712345671234567MARTIN HARRIS

“Of Fire And Steel”CONQUEST OF STEEL

“Of Fire And Steel”CONQUEST OF STEEL

Nicely balanced, even when additional orchestration is added– most notably the woodwind sections, clarinet at a guess – thisrelease has much going for it.

The oddly abrupt ending aside, there’s very little tocriticise, and for a debut release, the band’s promise isconsiderable. It will be interesting to see how their follow up workcompares. Until that time, revel in this and keep your eyes peeledfor future developments.

POWERPOINTS: 1234512345123451234512345CHRIS VAN SOUWE

PRETTY WILD“Pretty Wild”

Genre: 80s RockDead End Exit Records

Trying to secondguess other people’s views isdangerous, so I’ll keep mymark, but immediately point outthat fans of 80s metal would berating this as seven or higher.The vibe is unashamedly retro,with choruses that have adistinct deja vu feel,reminiscent of the whoah-ohsand gang vocals scene.Vocalist Ivan Högland’s

tendency to scream for no real purpose grates and some songsare repetitive, but I am missing the bottom-end found on releasesby the glam bands who have prospered post-1990. Ironically, on“High Enough” Ivan sounds like Vic Fuentes from Pierce TheVeil, which is definitely not the target audience, which I suspectis early Def Leppard fans, although there is too much sheen and

treble on the sound to pull off this comparison convincingly. Bestsongs are “Vampire”, “Are You Ready” and “Pretty Wild” for thosewho want to investigate further.

POWERPOINTS: 1234512345123451234512345MATT STEVENSON

MYSTIFIER“Wicca”

Genre: Black MetalGreyhaze Records

Bugger me, this is afrosty one. It’s almost 22 yearssince this debut album fromBrazilian nasties Mystifier firsthit the shelves, and Iguarantee that this re-releasewill turn a new generation onto them.

The somewhat tinnyproduction pitches thebuzzing riffs to the level ofangry wasps, and Diego

Araujo’s vocal scours are icy blasts sweeping across the tundra,whilst the squealing leads freeze the marrow. A curiously mellowbass gives “Osculum Obscenum” an added whiff of forebodingbefore the eerie, whistling key break introduces a doomy, desolatepassage without compromising the hostility. The demonic narrativeof “Invocaccione...” is chilling yet stirring, reaffirming both thedevilish intent and potency of the material here, which growsicier as the album progresses and marries a Slayer baseline andoccasional kvltish dabble to the infernal, cacophanous chaos.

Every now and again I waive my dislike of satanic blackmetal if the tunes are right, and here it’s well deserved. It’s a must

for any blackheart who hasn’t already had the pleasure, but forthose who have, this re-release comes with a DVD of two livegigs.

POWERPOINTS: 12345671234567123456712345671234567PAUL QUINN

GOOD FOR ONE DAY“Time And Again”

Genre: Alt Rock/Post HardcoreIndie Box

“Time And Again” is thelatest offering from Italy’s GoodFor One Day. Comprised oftwelve tracks, one of which isan instrumental, it is asophisticated work with equaldoses of raw power andelegance in everything fromthe soaring vocals andaccomplished guitar skills, tothe hard hitting drums andprominent bass lines. It’s a

heavyweight slab of rock that sounds great blasted at highvolumes with its undertones of Funeral For A Friend and TakingBack Sunday in the mix. With influences such as Foo Fightersand Weezer, GFOD have created a solid album, although attimes it can feel slightly predictable.

The standout tracks are “Dead Wrong” and “We’re AboutTo Live”, but the album stays strong from start to finish and infusesthumping songs with softer ones, such as “John Doe”. It’s alsorefreshing to hear the inclusion of backing vocals that truly addto the album’s depth. The one instrumental track, “Vega”, seemsto be the only real weak point and lacks the punch and drive that

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