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After the solid Loyal to None, I think we were all waiting for Herman Frank to follow it up with something exemplary, but unfortunately in lieu of any new solo material he has teamed up with his wife Martina for new project Poison Sun. So, female vocals and the old Accept guitarist. Udo meets The Saturdays perhaps? Not quite. Virtual Sin is closer to modern day Doro, with a few Accept-esque riffs finding airspace from time to time, and some punchy, uplifting moments such as the title track and the nauseously named "Red Necks", which reminds me strongly of Lullacry. Everything about this is what you'd expect, from the pumping production and heavy backline to Frank's slick solos and bone-crushing riffs. Lord, even Martina sounds pretty much as I'd imagined, with a gruff delivery that helps strengthen the Doro comparison.

There's nothing inherently bad about this (well, "Hitman" does push it), and on the contrary, there's one shining beacon in "Riders In The Storm", which is a cool, double-pedal Power Metal treat. But with proceedings being stuck on mid-pace like a broken dial, there's not an awful lot of excitement delivered by Poison Sun. It's metal by the numbers without innovation or flourish.