STEEL FOX is Brazilian Power Metal through and through. Formed in 1997, they only produced one EP in their first two decades of existence. "Red Snow" is their second full-length record and a killer follow up to 2018's Savagery. Red Snow was released the STF Records on May 7, 2021. STEEL FOX uses the classic Power Metal line up of two guitars, bass, drums, and vocals, though they do not put any keyboards underneath for ambience like many of the newer Power Metal bands do. This results in a more raw, pure Power Metal sound.

From the onset, "Dreams Of The Innocent" blows your mind. The guitars just absolutely shred. The drums are frenetic, and the bass is pounding. The vocals are gritty and rough, but never go guttural. The twin leads, whether harmonizing or running off on their own, are fast and precise. The tradeoff solos shows both guitarists are capable of magnificent feats.

Keeping with the theme of raw power blasting you in the face, "Blades of Revenge" and "Requiem For A Murder" take turns using speed and tone to drive home their respective points. Like many Power Metal bands, STEEL FOX tells tales with their songs. So much of those tales are influenced by the music. Often, the lyrics are just an extension of the music. Such is the case here. The listener feels the song as much as they hear it.

Moving down to the title track, "Red Snow," we get a song that doesn't start so much as it launches. The guitars are nothing short of a sonic blast. The rhythm is equally explosive. The solo work is really good with each having its' own identity.

"The Man Without King" is another blast of furious anger that never relents. From the first notes to the concluding phrases, there is no room for pity or mercy. The vocals get rougher and go a bit higher than some of the other songs. The screams are the most power metal style here. This is one of the heaviest songs and you feel it in your bones.

By contrast, the song with the most melodic phrasing is "Night People's Curse". This does not mean the song is melodic. There is still a lot of power here, but there are some areas where you hear some more melodic phrasing. The solos help to emphasize this. Not as shredding, they highlight a slightly different side of the band. These guys can move into the epic metal realm when they want to.

STEEL FOX is mostly power, but they can turn on the charm when they need to. There is not as much progressive metal in this as some of the bigger name power metal bands are using these days, but that is not a knock on this band. Instead, this shows a return more to the roots of power metal. Instead of a concept album, this is a collection of songs that hit all the topics needed for the genre. This is a return to form for power metal, and it is done quite well.