Today the fans have a Golden opportunity: to hear many Metal genres from the past and present living side by side, and no one needs to choose one side or the other, and it's not a sin to have the best of both worlds at the same time. Obviously that there are many trash releases appearing every day, from those that are just copying what was exhausted for many years. But some as the Portuguese trio HELLSPIKE deserves applauses, because they're really unleashing great music, as their first release, "Lords of War", is here to state.

Musically, they're into a trend of Speed/Heavy Metal influenced by German bands before the canonization of Thrash Metal that happened back on 1986 (with the release of METALLICA's "Master of Puppets"), and a strong influence from MOTÖRHEAD and JUDAS PRIEST can be felt on their songs. But even using the clichés of the past, these Maniacs came to make things on their own way, filling their songs with a wild and heavy hooking energy, great choruses, and a massive instrumental onslaught. Prepare your necks for their attack! Paulo Vieira (from PERPETRATÖR) is the one who did the recording, mixing and mastering of the album. It has the organic crude feeling of the past, but sounding clean and defined, a blend between the best features of the past and the present. And it's really a great work!

All the songs are really amazing, but for a first time on the trio's musical work, "Titans' Clash" (a proto-Speed/Thrash Metal song with a hooking and massive energy, with many melodic hooks and great guitars), "Storm of Fear" (a brutal melodic crushing energy comes from this one, where the influence from German Metal School is evident), "House of Asterion" (another catchy song with charming melodies, and with great vocals), "Lords of War" (an organic raw feeling comes from this one, and the simple work on the guitar riffs is amazing), and "Stellar Victory" (this one is in a more melodic trend, making the heads bang as hell in many parts, especially due the strong rhythmic work of bass guitar and drums). But don't even try to not hear the others!

"Lords of War" is really a great release, and if HELLSPIKE is on such a level by now, in the future they'll crack the sky for sure!