As the head-bangers of the world get older and older, heavy metal itself becomes more of a thing of nostalgia. As the mullets fade to comb overs and denim vests are traded in for suit coats, metal is becoming less of a lifestyle for the generation of the 70's and 80's and becoming more of a "in the closet" type of hobby. Giants of the metal world from the 70's and 80's still tour the world and play to tens of thousands of fans every night, but it is becoming less of a pursuit of passion and more of nostalgic trip back to days gone by. BLACKSLASH are making a damn strong effort to turn the music that made metal what it is today less of a journey to bygone days and more of a modern fixture, bringing younger metal fans back to where it all began.

"Sinister Lightning" is the second full length album of German power metal band, BLACKSLASH. A follow up to 2013's "Separate But Equal", "Sinister Lightning" is a modern retelling of the story that bands like JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN set into motion. Giant riffs, accompanied by giant vocals combined with harmonized solos and vocals. This album is a winner all around! These 20-something year olds from Germany have perfectly recreated what drew us all into heavy metal in the first place (don't lie, you like old classic metal just as much as the rest of us). While I keep referring to the nostalgia element of the music, this music is its own. The elements of influences are there, but the band itself remains original in its production.

"Empire Rising" brings back visions of 1980's QUEENSRYCHE. "Lucifer's Reign" has a hook in the chorus that draws you into singing it, whether you want to or not. "Stellar Master" has that same hook that draws you into the chorus, a harmonized solo makes one think back to Ace Frehley. "Edge of the World" has a much slower, much more melodic violin intro before breaking into the more familiar 80's metal breakdown we all know and love. If "Rock 'N' Roll" were to come onto the radio and you didn't know any better you would think you were listening to IRON MAIDEN until the vocals kick in. "Steel Stallions" is flawlessly executed, a catchy rhythm with an even catchier overlaid lead. This song could have easily been called "Creatures of the Night", as that is the main wording in the chorus, but Gene Simmons might have a problem with that. "Made of Steel" is the albums lone ballad, an emotional song that really takes the vocalists skills to his limits, this is my favorite song on the album.  The final song, "Don't Touch Me" has a faster tempo than much of the rest of the album and sticks to the theme set forth by the rest of the songs. It's been my experience that most groups that try to thrive in the world of nostalgia fail. This group, on the other hand, has the skill, the ambition, and the raw talent to make it big. I would highly recommend this album to anyone.