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Deal In Steel

    
       
       
       
     
             
Reverend Hound are a heavy metal band from Germany, forming in 2004 under the name Savage, changing their name to Reverend Hound in 2008, releasing the bands debut album 'Release The Hounds' in 2015. 'Enter My Nightmare' E.P. emerged in 2018, with sophomore album 'Deal In Steel' a 2024 release...    
             
...featuring eight new songs across a blistering, and incredible, fifty minutes! Playing a brand of heavy metal that includes elements of thrash and power metal, the Reverend Hound sound is a stunning mix of bands such as Fifth Angel, Riot (V), Accept, Blind Guardian, Megadeth, Testament, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest - a truly multi-genre, multi-national mix I'm sure you'll agree! And one that's as devastating as it sounds - the band on absolute fire as 'Deal In Steel' storms into life with (album opener) 'The Night'. And the glorious sound of traditional heavy metal pours outta 'The Night' like lava erupting from a volcano - and just as hot too! Reverend Hound display a shit tonne of pace, purpose and urgency here, powering forward at high velocity, banging the head of every single listener, fan and follower everywhere! What an amazing start - truly breath taking!    
             
And with no time to catch a breath, the band surge forth with the heavier 'Hounds Of The Sea', and the emergence of the instantly recognisable guitar tone forever associated with the iconic NWOBHM - the German five-piece from Bavaria perfectly echoing a forty year old sound! A forty year old that I was very much a part of, growing up as a teenager during the eighties when the NWOBHM began with the likes of Angel Witch, Diamond Head, Iron Maiden, Raven, and Venom. The opening double salvo has been sensational, Reverend Hound keeping the pedal well and truly pressed to the metal with 'Days Of Wrath', and the sound of old school, traditional heavy metal very much filling the air - the head bang ability since the album began sky fucking high! Are the German metallers making a late charge for the Album Of The Year title? Quite possibly so!    
             
And still with no let up in power and intensity, 'Glory' takes a slightly slower path - only slightly though, for Reverend Hound are pounding the ground harder than ever, crumbling walls and shaking buildings to their foundations! My head hasn't stopped rocking back and forth since 'Deal In Steel' began, and all the signs and sounds are that it ain't gonna stop any time soon! Clocking in at eight and a half minutes in length, 'Seeds Of Faith' is the longest song on offer, and is a majestic romp of all out heavy metal, returning the urgency and purpose of the album opener. There's also more aggression here than heard so far, Reverend Hound incorporating a little thrash metal mentality into their music, opening it up to the worlds thrashers too! 'Deal In Steel' has been one helluva intense listen so far, and with no indication of it changing, the band increase the speed of the album three-fold - 'Rain' accelerating like a Formula One car off the starting grid! The pace right now is phenomenal, the heads of metallers everywhere vigorously rocking back and forth - boy there's gonna be some sore necks in the morning!    
             
But you can't worry about that right now, for there's still two more songs to come - the first of which 'Falling Angels', returns the glorious sound of the eighties to the fore, Reverend Hound maintaining their old school, foot on the monitor attitude! And for the albums finale 'A Cry For Light', the band drop a couple of gears and enter ballad territory - for the first minute or so anyway! And then a sparkling crescendo building riff takes over as 'A Cry For Light' switches identity to resume the blistering pace and power heard everywhere else on 'Deal In Steel'. Boy you gotta love these little curve balls bands throw ya - keeps you on your toes and ensures you're still listening! And in the shape of Reverend Hound's second album, you'll be listening for a long time to come yet - so go ahead and press the replay button and enjoy 'Deal In Steel' again (and again).    
             
Overall, a barnstorming and furiously fast paced fifty minutes of unabashed heavy metal, immensely infectious and highly head bang-able.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
Review is also featured at Metal-Roos    
             
             
Other Reviews    
             

           
           
Enter My Nightmare E.P.      
           
"a full on heavy metal romp from a German band, coming at you from the heavy metal genre, and not the power metal one, as you may have expected" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             
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