Steel Raiser is a power heavy metal band from Italy founded in 2006 and releasing one demo and three full lengths to date, Race of steel (2008), Regeneration (2013) and Unstoppable (june 2015) with Iron Shield Records.
Steel raiser is feed from the flames of 80s speed metal strength and 90s power metal melodies, they got very much a combination of influences from Judas Priest, Gamma Ray and Grave Digger; impulsive speed metal always perfectly melted with strong German true metal, guitars are forceful using lots of palm muted patterns as the drums in general work awesomely well in harmony with the rest of instrumental, but the key point of this band is the vocalist, the vocal range is immense, from low sharp with hints of Udo style through clean mid pitched sides on the melodic power metal style, and surprising the listener with sharp high pitched screams on the Halford line that will blow out your mind.
The album begins straight with a fast paced and headbanging tune, really well done on the verses, as the word Inexorable in the chorus will bring your fists up in the air, truly one of the highlights of the band's sound, as Decapitator explodes with chorus as intro, mid to fast paced shot on the strategy line of German metal style, remembering Grave Digger moments, as they use an addictive chorus really effectively.
Fast as the light continues the metal madness as they develop interesting power metal melodies with a remarkable job on the vocal performance, clean and sharp changing constantly, creating a melodic chorus, long and effective; as one of the best tracks begin, Scent of madness, creates a really catchy riff that harmonize perfectly with the vocal performance, that in fact is the best of the album, developing melodic clean parts and evolving to a sharp and very well played theatrical sections to create another effective chorus, all adorned with synth violins, masterpiece guys!
Continuing with the same strategy, Dreaming of you kicks in with nice palm muted riffs and potent vocals that mixes with falsetto parts forging a dark atmosphere, following the power metal based chorus patterns, and continuing the action with Thousand blades, with airs of US metal in every note, epic and headbanging track from the first second.
Unstoppable takes out the fury, Judas priest style, to develop aggressive verses and a long restless chorus, guitars are powerful and so the whole track, continuing with another catchy shot Mole breaker, mixing grave digger and Wasp, really the chorus reminds me to Battlecruiser, but all on all another top shot from Steel Raiser, with probably the most addictive chorus of the band, following a simple and effective formula, Mole breaker!!
The last tears is a mid tempo ballad that introduces clear patterns from gothic sounds, on the vocal vibrato and also on melodies, giving a power -gothic metal touch, and finally the last track is the second version of Scent of madness, which is the same excellent song we listened before but with a change in the solo, the bassist come into scene to perform a more than prodigious bass solo, outstanding in every note.
Steel raiser new album is forged from the true metal and is gonna keep you banging your head from the beginning, compositions are rich and different in every song which is something great because many bands use to keep a formula in every song but Steel Raiser managed to give a different touch in every track of the album, taking influences from priest to maiden and gamma ray, jag panzer or accept, Steel Raiser are back more solid and stronger than before, with an excellent production for what can be one of the best albums of this year.
8,5 / 10
Line up
Salvo Pizzimento Bass
Gianluca Rossi Bass, Guitars
Antonio Portale Drums
Giuseppe Seminara Guitars
Alfonso Giordano Vocals
Links
Promotion by
Released by
(2006), 
(2008), 
(2011) and then the band signed with Pure Steel Records to release 
(2012) and the upcoming album, Fast and Glorious, coming the next 5th of December.
