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If 2013's The Warrior's Code was Gloryful sticking their toes tentatively into the crunchy Power Metal pool, 2014's Ocean Blade is a back one-and-a-half somersault off the high diving board. It is that much of a step forward from the debut. Everything is improved, especially the songwriting. The foundation remains the same; crunchy riffs, speedy drums and muscular vocals, all bristling with energy like the coils of a snake ready to strike. Ocean Blade opens and closes with instrumentals but almost every song in between brings the goods. "Ocean Blade" is a double-kick rocker sure to have you reaching for the air guitar while "Cradle of Heroes," with its anthemic chorus, is tailor-made for the live setting. I can almost hear the crowd chanting "THE CRADLE OF HEROES!" along with singer Johnny La Bomba. Speaking of La Bomba, he has stepped up his performance in a big way and the occasional flat singing of the debut has been remedied. In my review of The Warrior's Code, I said he wasn't at the level of David Defeis, but on Ocean Blade, when he hits the high notes, he comes pretty close to the Virgin Steele front man. Shredmaster J.B. and Vito Papotto again make up a potent twin-guitar attack.

Ocean Blade is a solid album from start to finish. It isn't particularly original but I can't see fans of bands like Ravage, Paragon and even Virgin Steele not eating it up.