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This is the ticket. Blackslash are a German band playing in the style of the NWOBHM (and earlier) on their third album, Lightning Strikes Again. This is a wonderful trip back to a simpler time when songs were about the metal life, riffs were crunchy and melodic, and choruses were just damn catchy. I like when Blackslash plays up-tempo (they sound faster than they actually are) and the first five songs, from the title track through "Illuminate the Night" are as good a stretch of straight-up traditional metal I've heard in a long time. The vocals are on the high end and the layered harmonies had me thinking of Sweet as I was singing along. The slower songs aren't as interesting, but the album ends on the high-note that is "Right to the Top." If you grew up on bands like Tokyo Blade, Witch Cross, Saxon, Tygers of Pan Tang and 70s hard rock/heavy metal, you won't want to miss this one.