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Proving Our Mettle

      
         
         
         
     
             
Metal are a heavy metal band from Australia formed in 2006, releasing their debut album 'Proving Our Mettle' in 2013.    
             
With a band name consisting of just the word "metal", you would expect nothing less than a heavy metal band - and that is exactly what you get! And with a sound forged from legendary bands such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead and Manowar, Metal launch the album with the anthemic and traditional sounding 'Heavy Metal'. Opening with the repeated chant of "heavy metal", the band are very much in rabble rousing call to arms mood from the off - every listener everywhere joining in with the band. As for the music, everything you would expect from anthemic metal, bold and bombastic with a powerful aura! Metal increase the pace courtesy of 'Victory', blasting off at a high tempo, and never looking back - the iconic metal gallop in full swing! The Australian metallers are very much influenced by the evolutionary NWOBHM movement from the eighties - and it clearly shows! The exotically titled 'Beneath The Banner Of The Iron Duke' is a swaggering foot stomp of heavy riffs and rhythms, the band returning the anthemic feel of the (albums) opener. The eighties metal sound is revisited once again as 'Battlefields Ablaze' bustles into life and hustles on by at a thunderous mid tempo pace. Pounding the ground hard, 'Battlefields Ablaze' is everything the iconic NWOBHM stands for, and even though Metal are from Australia, the band have got the NWOBHM sound spot on!    
             
A short mellow intro sets 'The Buccaneer's Revenge' off on its explosive way, featuring heavy riff after heavy riff. Proceeding to adopt the anthemic swagger the band appear to favour, 'The Buccaneer's Revenge' is a mean and moody foot stomp. And with an almighty regal feel, 'The Smelting Of Steel' strides in and powers on at pace, Metal returning to the fore the classic gallop of old school heavy metal - the iconic "foot on the monitor" pose springing immediately to mind! Clocking in at seven minutes in length, 'The Gry Lion' is the longest song on offer, recreating an Iron Maiden aura - the kind of aura that the metal legends are famous for with regards to epically orientated longer songs! Think 'Powerslave' era Iron Maiden and you will understand where I am coming from - 'The Gry Lion' marching on with majesty oozing from every note the band play. A simply glorious song, Metal are at their most attractive right here!    
             
'Fighting For Metal' is a song title you would expect from (the masters of epic heavy metal anthems) Manowar - but here it is, on the debut album from Australian heavy metal outfit Metal. Big riffing with an in your face attitude, 'Fighting For Metal' may become a cult anthem that every fan of heavy metal will understand, relate to, and ultimately sing along to! For the chorus chant of "fighting for metal" will be screamed out loud by everyone all over the world - 'The Kiss Of Steel' thundering in with a nod back to the eighties sound of (yes it is that band again) Iron Maiden! The gallop, the poise, the old school guitar sound - 'The Kiss Of Steel' could easily fit into the eighties metal scene.    
             
And with foot stomping anthemic metal the general theme running right through 'Proving Our Mettle', the title song strides into sight with a Manowar epic metal style - Metal crossing continents for inspiration with regards to their musical direction! Bringing the album to a close, 'Trafalgar' is over six minutes of pounding, head banging heavy metal that is gonna be loved by every metalhead and mosher in the world. Majestic and bombastic, 'Trafalgar' ends a glorious album of mostly mid tempo, highly anthemic foot on the monitor heavy metal.    
             
Overall, an album influenced by the traditional heavy metal sound of the NWOBHM, it's full of great and epic songs destined to become metal anthems.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Vlad Promotion    
             
             
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