Nothing will ever change; Heavy Metal is best played sounding old school. The vintage abundance of the 80s American steel engulfed by the overpowering British burning fire, once being the dominant force in North America, still has it to recapture moments which were wrongfully forgotten ever since Metal went modern through the mid years of the 90s. Gladly, there has been a constant shower of bands, since old school Metal's reappearance in the first decade of the new millennium, which have taken upon themselves to recreate the historical significance of Metal's triumphing years. But I guess that if you have been updated on what has been going on around you, you have already noticed what I am talking about. So let's take a ride on the wings of steel, where eagles and vultures dare, on the edge of the VOLTURE Heavy Metal machine. Once finding out about this band's full length debut, it came back to me that I had the chance on reviewing their previous mini album, "Shocking Its Prey", back when these boys were signed to Heavy Artillery Records. Two years went by pretty fast, and now, signed to the old school depository of High Roller Records, the vultures set ablaze with "On The Edge", keep it steady on their pursuit for the ultimate 80s Metal experience.

"Different, but the same". I think that it is one of most intriguing phrases ever thought about. Also I believe that it reflected well on VOLTURE's new situation that hail with both a new album and the presentation of a new vocalist, Jack Bauer, stepping up to the plate for the previous shouter, Brent Hubbard. So why the same? It is due to the fact that VOLTURE remained a constant band that day and night unleashes pure Heavy Metal on its better form. Bounded by the chains of NWOBHM and hitching a ride with a few of the old US Metal amalgamations, "On The Edge" musically appeared as the continuous musical sessions of "Shocking Its Prey". On the other hand, this new album's sound engineering turned it slightly more addictive in comparison to the rawness of the aforementioned contender. There is almost nothing better than the sharpened crunchy sound of the Marshall amps cracking your brain, limb by limb, following a rhythm section of bashing skin set and precision familiar bass aimed for the thrill and the commanding vocal line stomping ground at the front center. However, as you probably figured, nothing is the core of a release but the material at hand, no matter how devouring the sound might be.

In that department, you will have no complaints from yours truly. Despite the replacement of Brent Hubbard, VOLTURE didn't suffer terminally. Bauer seems like the band's standard vocal demand, whether it is dexterity and range. In comparison to Hubbard, Bauer is a step forward into the cool intermingling of Halfordian and Dickinsonian patterned singing yet with clearer and smoother high voice registers incidences, other than the steely high end uplifts of Halford. Apart from the new frontman at the helm, VOLTURE didn't flinch, as on their previous, from what has been going on in their local scene and kept on spreading the word of traditional Metal, achieving another successful headshot. Largely, "On The Edge" is a forthright, in your face, kind of a release. Nonetheless, consequent to the NWOBHM enterprise, VOLTURE possible finest pressure point is their high quality melodic licks and harmonic sense on their riffing impacting their song structures, one of the better indications that the old British steadfast mastery runs in their blood. The selection of riffs, though not anything new of sorts, turned this tug into a fierce perpetual apparatus. One would easily pick up the MAIDENish flavors of the early 80s, yet nothing could discourage the PRIEST and MOTORHEAD affirmations as well. "Brethren Of The Coast", sidelining the vocal choir that is just a mite of a copy to MAIDEN's "Children Of The Damned" hymn, is a proof of a solid song writing, an interesting epic continuously shifting, inspiring with a measure of musician skills. Of course that there are the loosen trackers as "Hot Wired", "Ride the Nite" and "Rock Your Head", driven by the spirit of Rock N' Roll, yet as Metallized and catchy as the classic acts portrayed in their musical caches. Certainly that there is quite a wide selection of bands out there, like on the flourishing Swedish Heavy Metal scene recapping the old school, but I believe that if done well, there is a spike ready to be discovered on any band, and VOLTURE is one of them. Come forth and step close to the edge.