To tell you the truth, the only reason I got this digital promo for review was that its description had the word "dark" next to Heavy Metal, which obviously is the genre it "belongs". I didn't really know what to expect from a band whose name is A TORTURED SOUL and its album is being released through Pure Steel Records, a label some may consider "cult" (in a not so good sense).

A TORTURED SOUL come from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, and this is already their third full-length album (after a self financed debut in 2005 and a sophomore album through Eyes Like Snow Records). If the information I got is correct, this band once featured bassist Ben Kuzay who has participated in bands like WYKKED WYTCH. Anyway, let's see if their new beginning with Pure Steel Records did any good to them.

From the very first seconds of this album you can understand the two major influences of A TORTURED SOUL, JUDAS PRIEST and KING DIAMOND/MERCYFUL FATE. Rick Black's vocals sound incredibly similar to Halford's, while his high notes reminded me of King Diamond. The music is exactly what the band claims to be, dark Heavy Metal. Dark and heavy guitars accompanied with a solid rhythm section and an almost dramatic and powerful vocal performance by the band's singer (we are talking about a more than decent number of octaves range here). What makes these guys surpass mediocrity and be an actually good Heavy Metal band is the talent of the guitar duet, which offers some heavy, yet melodic riffs that balance between the classic and the modern Heavy Metal sound. The band may not have the best possible sound here (nice but could be better and a bit heavier), this album has this "feeling", this Metal feeling that will touch many metalheads out there I guess.

If you are a fan of pure Heavy Metal and you just die for JUDAS PRIEST meets KING DIAMOND kind of metallic tunes, then "Lucifer's Fate" is exactly what you need. Lucifer surely sealed his fate...