Everyone knows the importance of acts as THE RUNAWAYS for showing the world that women have space on the stage, playing great music and showed the equality between men and women. But in the early days of the 80s, acts as WARLOCK, ACID, CHAINSTAIN, HOLY MOSES and others showed that female Metal singers were in equal terms with any man one can think of, and even with macho culture still being strong today, very good female fronted bands arise from time to time, as the USA quintet MEAN MISTREATER. Pay attention to what the band shows on its second full-length, “Do or Die” to understand such words. Jeff Henson (recordings, mixing) and Alan Douches (mastering) are the ones who helped the band to build the sonority of the album, something that sounds simple and organic - that Old School ‘plug ‘n’ play’ outfit, as the band set the gears and recorded the songs.

But the band took advantage to digital devices to make things defined to a point where everything sounds clean. Obviously that their music deserves more, but’s good for now. And the artwork of Edgar Regalado (cover art) and Alex Hagen (design) fits on what the band shows on its songs. The quintet plays a form of Old School US Metal, or in other words, that formula used by early Heavy Metal acts from USA (remembering: clear influences from Hard Rock and AOR from the 70s, some touches from Glam Rock, Country Rock and Southern Rock, a caring on the technical aspects, etc), what means that their music is rich in melodies and with hooking choruses, along with a very good technical care (not something exaggerated, but not extremely simple at the same time). But words are words, so the best to do is to hear and enjoy, and you won’t regret the experience.

It's obvious that the quintet needs to evolve a bit more, but what is shown on “Killer Red” (a fast and hooking song with excellent melodies and charming singing from Janiece), “One Survivor” (touches of 70s Hard Rock can be heard, along very good melodic guitar riffs and solos), “Nothing's Free” (wow, what great energy can be felt on this one), “Walk with Fire” (excellent melodic hooks under a heavy rhythm created by bass guitars and drums), “Do or Die” (a typical US Metal song with double bass parts and insane heavy hooks), “Road Dogs” (again doses of 70s Hard Rock can be heard), “Three Swords” and “Release the Wolf” is a promising and very good work. The quintet is a true Heavy Metal war machine!

MEAN MISTREATER is a fine act, and I hope that “Do or Die” have many successors.