Take those who say they love "80's Thrash" with a grain of salt, because unless they are talking about the multitude of Speed that fell into the cracks of obscurity, you won't hear many names outside of the Big 4. It is an era during which underground Heavy Metal flourished and fell; USA's POWERLORD is one such band, a product of the inner workings of the early stages of the country's burgeoning Power Metal scene. Far more prominent Thrash tendencies if anything, this band went on to create just one full-length, which has recently been reissued for a re-mastering.

"Masters of Death" is the first facet on this aged gem; surprisingly cutting riffs are brought back to life with crisp re-mastering. Not quite the start to the album I had hoped for; the vocals are strangled, and not quite the evocative kind. Although technically well-executed, at over 5 minutes long, the monotony of the arrangement looms. Luckily, everything gets better from here; "Malice" picks up the pace a good bit, and the vocals have come into their own, and command a fearsome power; the band even managed to chuck in a few NWOBHM moments. "Silent Terror" is a masterfully crafted piece of work that chugs and churns its way between tempos; an uncharacteristically, Doomy intro gives way to a series of creatively-arranged riffs, ending up in a track that is the least bit heavy as it is well-thought-out.

"The Invasion of the Lords" is almost entirely a Thrash effort, and a strong one at that, with many a SLAYER nuance heavily steeped in melody; perhaps the greatest display of speed and aggression on the record. "Merciless Titans" is creatively similar to "Masters of Death" but is far less boring, and displays the full range of the powerful vocals of Dane. "(The Awakening) Powerlord"  is rightly the best track on the release; the most complex in its arrangement, and displays a comically large quantity of fist-pumping metal moments.

Initial impression aside, this is a wickedly good release, and proof that the true gems of US metal exist beyond the musical scope of the Big 4.