Album review: RISING STEEL – Fight Them All

September 26th, 2020 by jason

Frontiers [Release date 04.09.20]

Second album from Grenoble’s finest metal band, Rising Steel. And you can see the tongue in their cheek from space. Allegedly.

The band’s amusingly phallic name is the first Freudian nod and wink. And then, endearingly, the music connects up every rushing, thrashing riff that ever existed, pulling in references from Annihilator (‘Malefice’), Iron Maiden (‘Steel Hammer’), Judas Priest (‘Led By Judas’) and every NWOBHM band that ever existed. It’s all there. You can hear it… feel it, and of course the title, “Fight Them All”. None more aggressive. The whole “backs against the wall” ethos is a key ingredient of all great heavy metal.

And… dammit, it’s got some great tunes. But it takes its time, slowly unfolding, firstly revealing the cleverly choreographed track sequencing.

The initial tracks are those of a band finding their way into an indestructible, heavy metal groove. Leading us from the caustic, thundering ‘Mystic Voices’, (which is so imaginatively arranged that it sounds like a face off between two competing metal bands – and they both win) to the album’s pivotal track, ‘Gloomy World’.

It’s here that the band begins to truly standout. A doomy keyboard intro, a riff fighting its way to the surface, and voices acting out the lyrics, playing with theatrics. None of this is original, but there’s something distinctive, almost radical about the way the band deliver this song. It stays with you, long after the album is over.

‘Metal Nation’ is not so much speed metal, but metal on speed. It just doesn’t stop, it’s so propulsive, rising and falling around a sturdy melody and a bunch of lyrics that would have made the Sex Pistols flinch. The stomping, foot to the floor ‘Pussy’ maintains the momentum, bridging the gap between rock and metal, cresting a wave of power chords and pounding percussion, guiding us toward the end of the album.

The band name and the album title might just be too much for some to get past, but those who invest will be glad they took a chance. Guaranteed. ****

Review by Brian McGowan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)