Sometimes I knock bands for sounding too much like other bands or even their own previous works, but then there are cases like Sanctuary of Death from Spanish power metal band Vhäldemar. This album could have been released 20 years ago at the height of the crunchy power metal wave and stood a head taller than most. Vhäldemar put the pedal to the metal out of the gate with "Devil’s Child" and "Dreambreaker," songs sure to get the feet tapping. They drop the pace to a killer slow burn on "Deathwalker" and then continue to alternate speeds throughout the rest of the album. The riffing is tremendous, as is the guitar sound, and just about every track on Sanctuary of Death is a keeper. Gritty, shouted choruses will stick in your head right away and the rhythm section will bowl you over. There isn’t anything Vhäldemar is doing that hasn’t been done before, they simply do it very well and with energy and excitement to spare. Sanctuary of Death is a fantastic collection of crunchy, Euro power metal that fans of the style and bands like Running Wild, Wizard, and Stormwarrior should not miss.