Among the hundreds and hundreds of releases falling into the pigeonhole of "Classic US-Metal", GLACIER's sole vinyl release stand out as a true top-10 gem of the genre. No need for meek understatements here: this MLP is truly outstanding! I could list "classic" after "classic" collectable "cult-act" and rant page after page about how much GLACIER piss all over them, but why waste one's time with namedropping the mediocre when so many others do this with more gusto than sense. I've long since come over the embarrassing fact that many of the finest American Metal albums were made by Xian bands (me being quite the occult fetishist when it comes to traditional Metal), and together with MESSIAH's incredible "Final Warning" this could very well be the best release of that particular 'scene'. Their glorious centerpiece, the phenomenal "Ready For Battle" is all the evidence you'll ever need.

Imagine if you will this huge computer where you input all the most important ingredients and data of what constitutes "True, Classic, Powerful Heavy Metal", then let it make a cross-section, or distillation if you will, and pour it into one single song. The end result would probably sound very similar to "Ready For Battle". It's all in there, the powerful freight-train verse, the goosebumps-inducing bridge, the victorious chorus, even the title oozes perfection! And it only just barely stand out as the best song on the album. "Vendetta" epitomizes everything you'd ever wanna know about proud, battle-clad Power Metal, "Devil In Disguise" and "Speak No Evil" sport some truly outstanding choruses, while "When Heaven's At Hand" is more basic, down-to-earth Heavy Metal and not quite in the same league as the other trax. Apart from the clumsy manner of putting it as the first song on the album it's still a great track though. I don't know the reason why they used 3 different vocalist on the record, but I didn't even notice it until I wrote down the lineup for this review. All 3 contestants share the same high and clear voice that any law-abiding band of the time knew to employ and they all sound awesome.

Even if this MLP came out on the medium-sized, fairly well distributed Axe Killer Records label it can be rather tricky to track down. I'd like to believe it's because of the enormous demand for this masterpiece, but it's probably the Illuminati and their darn' satanic bonfires that's been at it again. Bleedin' reptilian bastards!

Listen to this record here. (provided by the Vibrations Of Doom webzine)