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Never Die

    
       
       
       
     
             
Highways are a heavy metal band based in the USA formed in 2020, releasing three albums to date - 'Texas Is Coming For You' (2021), 'Breaking The Code' (2022), and 'Never Die' (2024)...    
             
...featuring a truly multi-national line-up! The members of Highways hail from different countries - guitarists Carlos Molina (Chile) and Oleh Andrievsky (Ukraine), bass player Marvin Masok (Nigeria), drummer Vinay Ramakrishnan (India), and new lead singer Olha Lishchyshyn (Ukraine), taking over vocal duties from Molina. The bands new (third) album 'Never Die', just like its predecessors, features eight songs in less than forty minutes - 'Denier' striding forth to plant one foot on the old school heavy metal monitor! Highways may be made up from all over the world, but the sound of the album opener is very much layered with British intent - 'Denier' oozing with traditional metal nuances. And the switch to a female vocalist has lost none of the bands oomph, Olha fitting in perfectly as 'Never Die' marches on with the heavier hitting 'Lost Oasis'. Romping along at a head bang-able friendly pace, 'Lost Oasis' (just like 'Denier') is gonna plant smiles a mile wide on the faces of every listener, fan and follower everywhere.    
             
And it doesn't matter if you're an existing fan of the band or a new one, the opening double is gonna grab your attentions and have you panting for more - and more is forthcoming courtesy of 'Shattered Pane'. Changing up a gear, 'Shattered Pane' is the fastest of the (albums) first three songs, the head bangers of the world vigorously rocking their heads back and forth to this one! Ever since 'Never Die' began, the intensity has been turned way up, each song reinforcing the bands intent to deliver infectious heavy metal of the most traditional kind - 'In The Dark' maintaining the albums energy and drive, albeit at a more sedate pace, the band bringing a touch of the anthemic to the fore. Highways stand tall and proud right at the heart of the heavy metal genre, inviting every metalhead to come listen to the band. And let's be honest - why wouldn't you wanna listen to Highways! Marching on, 'Never Die' changes gear once again, 'The Master' accelerating to top speed to roar louder than everything heard so far. The band are cruising right now, the sound of head bang-able, highly traditional heavy metal pouring outta the album like lava pours out of an erupting volcano! And just as hot too, 'The Master' a top shelf, incredibly infectious gallop.    
             
Since 'Never Die' began, the band have been on a roll, a heavy metal roll with no end in sight, and when the metal's this good you wouldn't want it to end anyway - 'Unholy Union' maintaining the high intensity level while also increasing the pace! There's more urgency here too, Highways pounding the ground with an insane amount of purpose and poise, every metalhead everywhere grinning from ear to ear! And with a dramatic slow down, 'Paint It Red' stomps into view oozing a little doom, anthemic, and epic styles of metal. The album may be at its slowest here, but I reckon it's also at its heaviest too, the change of gear mid song turning 'Paint It Red' into a glorious gallop! And bringing 'Never Die' to a close, 'The Blood' clocks in at over seven minutes in length - by far and away the longest song on offer - and features all the hallmarks of the longer album enders by legendary metallers Iron Maiden. From the atmospheric scene setting intro, to the incredible changes in tempo and pace, through the foot on the monitor gallop to the infectious head bang ability, 'The Blood', 'Never Die' and Highways are proof that good old fashioned heavy metal is never gonna die!    
             
Overall, a highly infectious and head bang-able album full to the brim with traditional sounding heavy metal.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
Other Reviews    
             

           
           
Breaking The Code      
           
"an album of infectious and highly head bang-able heavy metal where every song is catchy and memorable" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             
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