Artist: High Spirits
Title: Another Night
Type: Album
Label: High Roller Records

Formed in 2009, Chicago’s High Spirits are a traditional heavy metal band feeding the classic metal fans addiction and in doing so, High Roller Records once again treat us to the vinyl version (the band have a CD version they have self-released). Initial impressions from the opener ‘Another Night in the City’ really does sound like a vinyl recording, whether this is a bad download, but authentic it is by pure coincidence. Coming across as traditional as The Rods, fellow statesmen Züül, and many of early NWOBHM bands of old, High Spirits have energy and melody nailed to a tee. Chicago always had a crisp vibrant scene back in the heyday, and I guess this is where the influence of high spirits and similar bands come from.

Drenched in authentic prowess and guitar hooks, High Spirits keep you in...Well…High Spirits, this is pretty special music, trendy of late with this generation, but in all fairness it’s something that was a big hit 25 to 30 years ago. In creating this style of music, High Spirits have managed to ingest some of their own take without being too much of a copycat. ‘Full Power’ is riff-tastic, head banging metal greatness and infectious as soon as the verse starts. The music is rather simple, but effective, it’s not overbearing and not too technical, ‘Another Night’ exhibits balls to wall music heritage and if you’re not remembering this tune or raising your fist in the air after this tune, then my friend this is the wrong genre for you.

Without compromise, High Spirits is one of the stand out essential traditional metal releases of this year, it is actually more favourable than some recent album releases as each and every track has something to say and something that requires a real metal reaction, and for that I take you to ‘Demons at the Door’. High Spirits are a band that stands out as representing this great genre with ease and natural ability, the albums flows intently from start to finish and quite simply, ‘Another Night’ is an essential traditional metal release.

http://www.myspace.com/highspiritsrock

Paul Maddison

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