Damien
Damien (US) - Stop This War (ZYX Metallic) 1989
1. "Stop This War" (4:56)
2. "Break Out" (3:37)
3. "Rising Dawn" (5:25)
4. "Matilda" (4:05)
5. "30 St. Clair" [insrumental] (2:52)
6. "Stormwind" (4:56)
7. "Warlord" (3:02)
8. "Always In Lust" (4:37)
9. "The Priests Are Coming" (4:39)
10. "Corpse Grinder" (3:07)
Damien are a classic heavy metal band from Ohio, USA that frankly I had not even heard of until this CD arrived in my mailbox. "Stop the War" straddles a fence between commercial heavy metal and straight forward classic heavy metal (not unlike Saint, Armored Saint or Sword). At times the band even pushes the speed metal envelope, although never really completely crossing over. This band is not overly original, but the songs are enjoyable and that is what really counts. Vocalist Randy Mikelson has a decent set of pipes and often fluctuates between a mid-tone clean singing and a higher, slightly grittier scream. On top of that the band knows how to write a good, crunchy heavy metal song. Perhaps they are not the fastest, or the heaviest, but their songs should have any fan of old school heavy metal banging their heads and isn't that what heavy metal is all about?