Released on December 5th, 2014, the 5th full length album of Italian Heavy Metallers RENEGADE, is nothing but a sweet spot between Old school and modern Heavy Metal, actually more Old School than otherwise. Some bands bring out albums once in a while which reassure that traditional Heavy Metal is still very much alive, and is still on the right road, RENEGADE is one of them.

"Thunder Knows No Mercy" as an album starts very strongly with arguably the best track on the album, i.e. the title track itself "Thunder Knows No Mercy". Driven by the fast thick guitar riffs, the screaming low tempo vocals of Senesi are a treat here. The bass is heavy and the drums are more rhythmic than I have heard in any other album that I have heard in recent times. The main solo riff is ear piercing and stands out on a different level. Though the band tries to bring something new to the table with new riffs in "The World is Dying", sadly it invariably fails. "Into The Flame" is much better as it incorporates Neo-Classical style of guitar work and also some melodic stuff. The sharp guitar riffs here nothing short of masterwork. "Awaiting the Storm" is more of a NWOBHM style with its constant rhythmic headbanging riffs and later goes slow though increasing the tempo, before turning into the usual mid-tempo song. "The Endless Day" is a strong song, where the band tries to hit the sweet spot between JUDAS PRIEST and the Iranian band SWITCHBLADE. The elongated riffs, along with the clean screaming vocals, make this a beautiful Power Metal anthem. While "Screaming on the Edge" and "Trail of Tears" are not bad songs, they are disappointing compared to what has been on offer so far. I get a feeling that the band is trying just too hard here, rather than sticking to what works for them. The albums ends with a solo filled "Thunder Knows No Mercy", bringing all the good things the former part of the album succeeded in bringing, a fitting culmination to a beautiful album.

Even with all the defects, RENEGADE still brings out the perfect culmination of Melodic Heavy Metal and Power Metal not heard very often. This might not be everyone's cup of tea, even for the seasoned Old School fan, but once you take the pulp of this album, you go back 3 decades back, but with new riffs and new energy and will enjoy for ages. 'Renegade' your external world and dive into the beauty of the sweet spot between aforementioned genres. Indulge. Repeat. <