• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Acid Blade is a new band (formed in 2019 as Angel Blade, then changing names in 2021) out of Germany whose members have thrown their bullet belts and denim vests into the '80s revival/NWOTHM ring with their debut, Power Dive. They've got a great sound, not too polished and with a hint of early '80s DIY recording, which I definitely mean as a compliment. The singer has an unconventional voice that might seem off at first, but after a few listens it meshes with the music well. Think Cirith Ungol's Tim Baker or Pagan Altar's Terry Jones, not that he sounds like either, simply he too doesn't have a prototypical metal voice. There are straight up traditional heavy metal tunes like "Power Dive" which features some Maiden-esque guitar work, and cuts with more melodic riffs like "Harpy on the Wing" and "The Tomb of Khentika Ikheki" that had me thinking of early Krokus. They even channel a little Warning-era Queensrÿche on "Moonless Night" that opens with a slow and emotionally distraught atmosphere before launching into a more trad riff. Like a lot of releases these days, there isn't going to be much you haven't already heard from Acid Blade, but they already have something of a unique sound and that is only going to help them going forward as they further refine their sound. A promising start for this band.