Satan spent the mid-late 80s repeatedly changing names and singers, searching for their optimal form. Yet that form was already perfected on 1983 debut Court In The Act, proving their mettle on one magnificent record before singer Brian Ross returned to Blitzkrieg. Satan’s 1983 line-up stood among the greatest of the NWOBHM’s many ‘bands who got away’ until their 2011 comeback. Since then, they have consistently delivered high-end, first-class heavy metal, balancing brains and brawn, elegance and spunk, trad orthodoxy and quirky ingenuity, songwriting nous and heads-down power. This latest LP brings a little more 70s rock warmth than usual, with slide guitar riffs and glittering melodies maintaining the thrillingly high standards of Satan’s other essential 21st-century output. ■■■■■■■■
FOR FANS OF: Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate