You don't always need to reinvent the wheel...just throw some spikes on it.

In this Metal kingdom of ours, tradition leads the way. It is written, that the venerated sages of old shall forever be imbedded in every steel chord that dares to ring throughout the prophesised ascension of this mighty genre.

And so they do...the clinking swords of the Kings continue to be heard amidst the alienated clatter of the digital revolution; enabling the younger generation and inspiring bands like KRYPTOS to carry on tradition and churn out such steel as their latest effort "Burn Up The Night", which swings along with the blades that had once conquered these metal lands.

Now, this record is about as 'old-fashioned' as they come; like chastity before marriage. It's ironic, given that it also comes blistering in with the orgasmic bursts of an erotic thriller. "Blackstar Horizon" flies into the night on the chirping 16^th note guitar riff à la Jake E. Lee and a confident 80's style chord progression that sets a perfect backdrop for the menacing vocals of Nolan Lewis - whose voice immediately steals the listener's attention with its curious tone; like that of self-assured leather-jacketed creature of a bloody night, with a touch of Blackie Lawless.

The record then turns into a fucking riff-fest; and it is a massacre. Every track sounds like a blood stained razor blade that was once used to cut cocaine by the vampires of the Sunset Strip. Tracks like "Full Throttle", "Unto Elysium", "One Shot to Kill" and "Wave Rider" (all of them for that matter) will make you think that Marty and Doc Brown had made a stop by the 'Whisky a Go Go' back in '84 and snatched these guys off the stage.

That being said, this record is different. It has a very peculiar, nefarious quality that makes KRYPTOS sound like an 80's Metal band possessed by the demons of Death Metal. The sound is dark, the lyrics are grim and the band take themselves very seriously, and deliver pure, well-written Heavy Metal that indeed lights a fire in the night. The production is very raw, clearly going for the semblance of a vintage record; and it works, to an extent. The mix is lacking and often drops just about everything but the guitars, but the sound nonetheless truly gives you a tingle of nostalgia.

However - yes there is going to be one of those - whilst the album does a great job of recreating the flavour of old and packs eight very good, catchy, and exciting songs...it sound the same all the way through. Much like a lot of the bands of the era from which KRYPTOS draw their inspiration, the variety is lacking. Sometimes you can hardly tell when one song has ended and the other has begun. The pace also appears to be lagging in some parts, but regardless of that, it is a fun ride all the way through.

Overall - this record rips like a metal-studded Hulk in spandex. KRYPTOS have taken an overused formula and have somehow managed to brew a fresh batch of raw, old-school Heavy Metal. "Burn Up The Night" applies the sensibility of modern institutions to scriptures of archaic wisdom and births a Metal record that is not to be constrained by the chains of time.