Siren - Financial Suicide (Aaarrg Records) 1988

1. "Kreator Of Dreams" (3:15)
2. "Unsung Hero" (4:16)
3. "Lines Of Steel" (5:10)
4. "This Machine (Runs-on-Hate)" (4:40)
5. "Locked & Chained" (2:59)
6. "Like A Bullet" (5:14)
7. "Digital Clock" (5:06)
8. "Power March" (5:12)

Siren are a speed metal band formed in 1984 in Tampa Bay, Florida and featured vocalist Douglas Lee who also sang for Germany's Mekong Delta. "Financial Suicide" was their second CD and featured an almost entirely new line-up from the band's debut, save for Lee. The music walks a fine line between traditional heavy metal (or power metal) and speed metal, not unlike Metal Church, Haven or Powersurge. At times I am even reminded of early Crimson Glory. The songs are slightly technical and nicely arranged with plenty of of catchy melodies, crunchy guitar riffs and Lee's soaring, high, clean vocals. In other words, this is real metal! Standout cuts are "Kreator Of Dreams", "Lines Of Steel", "This Machien (Runs on Hate)" and "Just For The Hell Of It".

This CD is highly collectible, as is most of the Aaarrgh! catalog. It's a shame quality metal releases like this are buried and almost completly unavailable. This one is most certainly in need of some remastering to beef up the sound and a proper re-release.