• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Well, this was quite the surprise. Silver Talon is a new band from Portland, Oregon and Becoming a Demon is their first proper release after a couple of demos. Old school heavy metal is the beginning, middle and end of the story for these guys. The vocals are clear and powerful but with a healthy dose of grit and the songwriting familiar yet strong with some major hooks. What really leaps from the speakers, though, is the lead guitar work which is flashy and technical without devolving into random noodling. I couldn't help but think of players like George Lynch, Warren DeMartini and even Yngwie Malmsteen at times. Becoming a Demon has the same punch for a debut that another band from the Pacific northwest did on their first album, namely Metal Church.

There's nothing on Becoming a Demon you haven't heard before, but the metal is so pure, so faithful, you won't care. Back in the day, when you bought an album based on the cool skull on the cover, like the one Becoming a Demon has, you could only hope the music would be this good.