FINAL AXE - BEYOND HELLS GATE

New and improved comes this edition of the first Final Axe album entitled Beyond Hell’s Gate. This is the original collaboration of guitar whiz Bill Menchen and vocalist Simon Tyler aka Keith Miles. These guys have brought Robert Sweet of Stryper on board to handle the proverbial pots and pans. This material was originally recorded and released in the early 90’s

It’s no understatement to say that Sweets contribution adds the sound and rhythmic background that way the original was missing. This is the kinda heavy metal that the term headbanger was invented for. Fast and hard this disc hits like a truck doing 80 mph. Not that every song is fast but the addition of some one talented on the drums really drives the feel and groove.

From ‘Baptized in Blood,’ ‘Close to Deliverance,’ ‘No Time to Die,’ all benefit from the improved sound and drum playing. For the most part the songs here are short sweet and too the point. You won’t mistake Final Axe for some Prog band that’s for sure. Menchens formula as it were is quick 3-4 minute metal tunes that make you bang yer head and get the feet pumpin. Armored Saint or perhaps early Saxon in heaviness and feel.

At times the songs felt a little ‘samey’ or as we used say, “It sounds like one long song.” At first that maybe the case but there are a few gems in this rough. ‘War Cry,’ ‘Baptized in Blood,’ ‘No Time to Die’ and closer ‘Rated X’ are top drawer metal compositions that will get your attention quickly. Cool tunes that grab on and dig in quickly, so quick that you’ll want to hear them again.

Pick up your denim, leather and grab that boom box as you’re gonna want this album of solid metal tunes in your collection. Listening to this disc I’m reminded of Sammy Hagar who wrote a lyric that I find very apropos, he wrote “Headbangers in Leather… upfront fanatics tearing down the barricades!” See you down front.

6 axes