OCTOBER 31 are a Heavy Metal band from Virginia, US formed in 1995. Their debut album, "The Fire Awaits You", was released in 1997 with a second album, "Meet Thy Maker" released in 1999. "The Fire Awaits You" has now been reissued and includes their four song demo "Voyage To Infinity", plus other bonus songs.

The album opens with the thunderous "The Warlock", a storming rampage of blistering pace and power, screaming guitars, pounding rhythms and great vocals. "Salem's Curse" and the title song "The Fire Awaits You" both hint at traditional British Heavy Metal as they race through great guitar riffs and dramatic time changes. A slow acoustic passage introduces "Prelude/Lost City" which is over eight minutes of chillingly epic atmospheric heavy metal. Power and pace return with the storming "Voyage To Infinity" and the pounding "Day Of The Saxons". Mid tempo instrumental "Vindication" is very heavy with some awesome guitar work. The epic romp "A Million Goodbyes" chugs away endlessly with many time changes and guitar solos.

The next four songs are off the 1996 demo. Original versions of "Voyage To Infinity" and "The Fire Awaits You" are followed by "Child Of The Damned" which rattles the senses as it flies by in a blur of guitars and drums. "When Darkness Covers The Sun" is another epic, dramatic time changing Heavy Metal romp.

The two bonus songs on this reissue are two cracking cover songs. The first is "I Don't Know" (by OZZY OSBOURNE) with OCTOBER 31 keeping true to the pace of the original. The second is "Public Enema Number One" (by IRON MAIDEN) which OCTOBER 31 recorded for a tribute album to the NWOBHM legends.

Overall, an exciting re-visit to the metal scene of the nineties with an awesome mix of Power, Thrash and traditional Heavy Metal.