VALKYRIA is in the simplest of terms a bad ass Metal band from Spain. Their newest release is "Tierra Hostil" on Fighter Records, and it was a really fun record that I'm glad I had an opportunity to listen too. Now, with that said, the album is sung entirely in Spanish, and unfortunately my comprehension of the language is somewhat limited. But, you don't need to understand the lyrics at all to realize, this is a damn good Metal record. VALKYRIA are best detailed as a Classic, Melodic Metal band. Perhaps not as surprising as it sounds, there's hints of NWOBHM happening here as well.

The album kicks off with "Codigo De Honor"which features a nice guitar intro beginning with a build before Borja Aguirre's furious riffs and Jon Romero's pounding double kick drum propel the song to another level. Yeray Hernandez's vocals are perfectly fitted here, in Spanish and all. I've said in reviews previously that I dislike bands that try to sing in a forced English. Thankfully, Hernandez refused to go the route of bad English accent to distract or deter. "Abatido" again starts us off with a driving riff, this time also showcasing some tasty pull offs. This track really gets the opportunity to introduce Gorka Perez on bass. Accentuating Romero's drum work perfectly, they hit like a two headed serpent, with heads weaving at the target from every angle.

Next up, the title track "Tierra Hostil" followed by "Rencor", which again features some nice bass work from Perez. Vocally though, "Rencor" overall fell flat, despite a nice melodic chorus. Throughout the album, the song structure and choruses are distinctively highlights, and contain elements both classic and modern techniques. The band uses every member's playing effectively and often. Essentially the album is a showcase for each player's skill, yet never comes across as overly oppressive. "Selenelion" comes on like a slow burn, before unleashing a fabulous guitar solo from Aguirre. Indeed, I found Aguirre to be quite the impressive player. Clean power riffs, and the ability to seemingly fire off the perfect solos. It's a good thing MEGADETH found Kiko Loureiro when they did. Aguirre is the exact type of guitar slinger that Mustaine loves to recruit and make famous.

"Identidad" and "Vida Eterna" continue to reinforce just how good this band and album are. The latter actually contains my favorite hook and has to be destined to be a crowd favorite. Definitely an album highlight. The album closes with "Tuareg", and we come full circle. Closing out the album as fiery as they began. There isn't a bad song here. Not one. This is metal as it's supposed to be. Multi-international, and a universal language. VALKRIA would be impressive in any language.