Leading in with a mystical crescendo, Existance’s – Steel Alive gives me the sense something special is building in. So many times before I’ve been disappointed but this time I get my karma.
This is 80’s metal at its best (albeit well over 2 decades since its closure)!
Straight from the hallmark of Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Saxon, Dio, and ever so subtly Metallica, Existence has taken everything that was amazing about the halcyon decade of Metal and shoved it right back down our throats.
Believe me when I say, if you like 80’s metal, you are going to love this.
That opening crescendo is “Legends Never Die“. It is beautifully commercial, perfectly written, and the essence of metal power emotion. It makes you want to pump your fists in the air. The middle stanza guitars and solo are straight out of the war manual and perfectly executed.
Backing the opening is a myriad of metal commerciality. “Black Viper” tags after the former noted piece and is a great foil for backup. “The Siren” is a perfectly timed rhythm with punching riffs and melodic chorus. Another classic!
“Slaughter” takes shape straight from Metallica ‘s Kill ‘Em All; although I’m not taken by the chorus. It has an upscale, which detracts from the song.
But in its entirety, this is still a very good song. “Burning Angel” has more commercial appeal than Def Leppard and is seriously the type of Metal that spreads the metal fan base to the fair sex (that’s a massive plus; it’s all about spreading the fan base and conquering the world).
There is pretty much nothing that this album has that I didn’t enjoy. It is phenomenal. To cap it all off and on the highest par with the opening track is “Close to the End“. This is one for the fans. When you want everyone from the nose bleed section right down to the front row singing back at you. I can see them now, a legion of fans crying out the melody of “oh” sung between the “Life close to the end” choruses. I know the written word doesn’t do this justice, so get out there and buy this album and find out what I mean. Steel Alive is ‘effing’ brilliant.
Existance: Facebook
Release Year: 2014
Label: Mausoleum Records
Category: Album
Country: France
Reviewed by Eugene Crabtree
