CHASTAIN is a band with staying power, with an impressive career spanning more than 30 years. "We Bleed Metal 17" is a rearranged version of the 2015 version of the album. The band is the brainchild of guitarist David T. Chastain. Leather Leone is definitely one of the most distinctive elements of the band. I'd recognise her semi-growl anywhere. Her clean notes soar, and she has good sustain. I particularly liked her performance on "Against All the Odds", "Warrior" and "Search Time". One of the most memorable choruses on the album belongs to "All Hail", which is a great old-school anthem. The latter was definitely one of my highlights of the album, with solid performances from Mike Skimmerhorn on bass and Stian Kristoffersen on drums. David T. Chastain soars into the stratosphere on this track, with cool 80s-style effects and nimble soloing.

The title track is a fun, "meta metal" sort of track. Sometimes metal tracks about metal can be cheesy, but for me this meta number was a fun celebration of heavy metal, with a chorus that begs one to sing along. I mentioned Leone's great vocal performance on "Warrior" earlier; I want to mention the notable guitar work as well. The riffs add to the story of the warrior fighting on through many struggles, and I really enjoyed Chastain's lead work on this track. The rhythm guitar parts are also enjoyable. There were moments on the album where the music teetered on the edge of relying too heavily on Chastain's impressive solos to carry the songs, but overall things held together. The mix is quite loud, but there didn't seem to be compression of any of the parts.

The album ends with a slower epic in the form of "Search Time", with Leone showing displaying impressive clean notes. Kristoffersen provides some interesting fills, which keep things ticking along nicely. Chastain's electrifying solo fades out the coda - I almost wished that the solo wasn't at the end, but at the same time it's a fantastic way to end "We Bleed Metal 17".
CHASTAIN's sound is old-school, yet timeless. In my humble opinion, their sound isn't dated. Those with a nostalgia for the classic metal sound, as well as new CHASTAIN fans will find what they're looking for with "We Bleed Metal 17".