Xalt
Under the Ruins
Reviewed by John Wilson
On this, their first Pure Metal release, Xalt comes through with punchy, gnawing metal in the style of Queensryche and Accept. First-class drummer Todd Gleason provides a militant barrage of percussion with guts, while guitar maestro James Erdman and bassist Randy Carlson dispatch killer rhythms, undergirding James' spicy classical leads. Vocalist Scott Doerfler comes across as somewhat restrained, but at some points he is able to pull off a Bruce Dickinson approach - especially on "Waste Your Life Away" - my personal Xalt favorite. On a few songs, excellent musicianship seems a bit overshadowed by being played too fast - but the groove is never lost. Of special note is "Lift Him Up", the last of the 10 songs here, which boasts a simply terrific ending. If you enjoy the metal of the early-to-mid 80's (Dio, Iron Maiden, etc.), you've got to hear Xalt.