Generation Steel is a heavy metal band from Germany formed in 2019, releasing two albums to date – ‘The Eagle Will Rise’ (2020) and ‘Lionheart’ (2023).
Exploding onto the worldwide heavy metal scene in 2020, Generation Steel joined a long line of metal bands to emerge from Germany, a long line of bands that began with the likes of Accept, Grave Digger, Helloween and the Teutonic Four! And with their sophomore album ‘Lionheart’, the five-piece outfit from Wetzlar aims to solidify their emergence as one of Germany’s newest breed of rising stars – the sonic fallout from the band’s debut album still reverberating around the world! With the band signed on to a new record label – El Puerto Records, Generation Steel is roaring louder than ever – ‘Baptized In Sorrow’ breathing fire and brimstone, propelling the album forward with a crushing crescendo of traditional flavoured heavy metal! The band planted their feet on the monitor, galloping forth with purpose and poise, the classic sound of heavy metal never sounding so good!
And with more energy and oomph, ‘Lionheart’ storms on with ‘Bloodrage’, battering listeners with an infectious blend of melodic heavy metal, clenched fists rising high in the air to salute a belter of a song. Generation Steel is part of a new generation of bands intent on keeping the traditional heavy metal top of the metal hierarchy – leading by example and very much from the front! The band’s sophomore album motors on with the electrifying pace of the title song ‘Lionheart’, the band cruising down the autobahn at top speed – there’s just no stopping the German outfit now they’ve got the wind in their sails! And when I say wind, I mean typhoon, the band whipping up a storm of relentless thunder – ‘Executor’ bustling forth with more menace and authority than heard so far. The overwhelming heaviness of ‘Executor’ is devastating, the band bearing down on listeners with extreme precision, hitting the sweet spot with incredible accuracy.
The intensity level of the album so far has been top-notch, Generation Steel turning every knob, dial, switch and lever to maximum – ‘Wastelands’ bringing a little groove metal to the fore, perfectly mixing it with the band’s traditional metal roots! ‘Wastelands’ is a gear-changing tempo-shifting slab of headbang ability that every single metalhead in the world is gonna enjoy! And by enjoy, I mean rock out with immense energy and intent – ‘The Lost And The Damned’ maintaining the album’s phenomenal intensity level! A level that’s weighty and overpowering, yet friendly and warm – Generation Steel emanating a persona of immense attraction! Everything the band do is attractive, highly addictive too – ‘Lionheart’ (the album) making its way straight onto listeners’ playlists where it’ll be replayed endlessly for a long time to come! And fuck me, what an incredible turn of speed! ‘Forevermore’ kicking the tyres and lighting the fires with a phenomenal energy boost. And an opening (and recurring) riff similar to the opening riff to ‘Hellbound’ by fellow German metallers Warlock (off the band 1985 album ‘Hellbound’), Warlock fronted by the undisputed queen of metal Doro Pesch.
And the eagle-eyed and/or knowledgeable among you may recognise ‘The Ripper’ as the title of a Judas Priest classic from the band’s 1976 album ‘Sad Wings Of Destiny’ – but Generation Steel‘s ‘The Ripper’ is not a cover – although it does share some characteristics with the metal legends! The power-driven highly anthemic mid-tempo thunder of one of the world’s pioneering and very first metal bands shines through as Generation Steel slam the hammer down with more force than the mighty Norse God Thor! The album is at its heaviest here, shuddering the ground and shaking buildings to their foundations – a scorching change of pace sees ‘Left Alone’ race out of the blocks at top speed! The intensity level of the album has not dropped one little bit, ‘Lionheart’ (the album) roaring as loud now as it did when it began. The final song on the album shares its title with another Judas Priest classic – ‘United’ (appearing on the band’s 1980 album ‘British Steel’). And again not a cover, but a Generation Steel original, ‘United’ a buzzing NWOBHM-flavoured fury, the album at its gruffest, roughest and toughest it’s ever been.
Overall, a full-on and intense roller coaster ride of roaring heavy metal with tonnes of head-bang ability and a sky-high infectious level.
TRACKLIST
Baptized In Sorrow
Bloodrage
Lionheart
Executor
Wastelands
The Lost And The Damned
Forevermore
The Ripper
Left Alone
United
Generation Steel: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: El Puerto Records
Category: Album
Country: Germany
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire and Metal-Roos.
