Reviewed by David Cranson

. . . and I quote, "What kinda crap is this?" (from the first track, "All On Fire"). It's the kinda cr- erm - 'rubbish' where the musicians are brilliant but the vocalist should've been advised either to sing in a style befitting the music, or someone else should've handled the vocals. Good thumping rhythm and solid wall of sound coming from the band, and even the backing vocals are right on the money. It's a shame that Michael Hero's vocals are not so good. It's not so noticeable on "All On Fire", where he keeps it in check. Most everything coming together well. As the man says at the end of the track, "Well, it wasn't that bad". From there on in it kinda creeps up on you until you realise that he has the type of voice with not too much range - either that or he's not using it right - and that he can't sing in the style the band are playing. Musically they remind me of Iron Maiden or Sacred Warrior, without the vocal power of a Bruce or a Rey. For me Hero don't get close to matching Swedish bands Leviticus or Jerusalem. And 10 tracks lasting 35 minutes is poor value for money. Still, if you still swoon for the golden age of metal, this might be worth investigating.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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