Here is another newcomer that wanted to ride the wave of the old days. That is what I thought when I first saw the cover of SPLIT HEAVEN's "Street Law" album. The cartoon-esque quite cluttered picture of the front brought my mind to bands as RISK, ANTHRAX or such. Damn was I wrong! To start with "Street Law", this is the Mexican's third full length album and apart from the style of the cover they don't have much in common with the mentioned bands. Sure, we are talking about Heavy Metal with slight Thrash influences.

There are a few songs on the first half of the album which ends up somewhere right between STEEL PROPHET and AGENT STEEL. On occasion, vocalist, Eligio Valenzuela, sounds freakishly much like Rick Mythiasin, though with a slight Spanish accent. Just listen to "The Devil Isn't Fool" and judge for yourself. Not a bad comparison if you ask me. Musically, at least a few of the songs is more towards the Bruce Hall days of AGENT STEEL. Melodic, semi technical Power/Thrash. Very nice I think.

After a few songs there's a slight change in style, SPLIT HEAVEN becomes more traditional 80s Metal, the later part of the 80s. Really nice riffs and catchy songs, nothing particularly unique but there's something about this stuff that I really like. A vocalist like Eligio do a lot of course, then everything else feels very effortless. All rhythm changes and fills, the solos and the guitar licks melodies really put SPLIT HEAVEN above many other bands around today. I mean, if you have a catchy riff and add a melodic guitar harmony on it in a true IRON MAIDEN style and still make it sound your own, that you shall have credit for it. "Red Light District" is a very good example of this notion. Still "Nightfall" is my favorite of the Heavy Metal ones in all its simplicity.

That's so cool with SPLIT HEAVEN, there's some mighty fine playing going on "Street Law" but it still feels quite rough and edgy, it has that naivety and drive, there's quite a lot going on but it still feels like music from the heart. Not at all something like they would do just to make it. Overall, this is a very nice album, a pleasant surprise and I will absolutely check out how the rest of their material sounds. Still I do prefer the Thrashier songs in the beginning of the album but that is only a matter of taste.