Various Artists
Underground Metal 2
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
"Kick In the Gates of Hell", a cut off the brilliant commercial metal release, Thunder From the Mountain, by above-ground Zion, starts this average metal album off with a sparkle. "Victim of the Night" comes next with a fine performance by the commercial rocker Phil Accardi's Chalice. "Apocalypse Prepare" by the thrash group Thresher is a hot number, complete with crunchin' guitars and smashing cymbals. I wish I could say that the rest of the album stayed at this level of excellence, but it doesn't. Garage-level tunes follow that are pretty good - they just don't stand out of the crowd. Knightriot should appeal to heavy rockin' fans of early Saint. Image sounds similar to H.E.R.O., from the Cal Metal days. Remnant plays a progressive metal style similar to Iron Maiden with some big commercial choruses. Final Warning dishes up a decent time change near the end of "Listen", but never delivers a good hook. Xalt puts in a straight-ahead performance, which sounds more like a rehash of old riffs than a fresh breath of creativity. This is one that collectors will want to have, for sure. There are definitely three killer tunes here, but the rest of the album could use some growth in the songwriting area and some seasoning as a band to get tighter. Nothing is bad on this album, but I'm sure it won't be remembered in ten years.