• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

I had heard some bad things about this band, and this album has a really, really stupid title, so my expectations were lowered and I wasn't sure what to expect. Imagine my surprise when a craptastic album title like this turns out to herald a fun, rocking disc of fairly stupid NWOBHM entertainment. Thunderbolt are all about the old school - bouncy, catchy, and singable. They have a cool, crisp guitar sound that is perfectly balanced between light and heavy - clear and crunchy with the just the right amount of grit. And do they wring out some awesome riffs? Oh yeah. This is very much in the vein of bands like Saxon with a good bit of blues-rock flavor, but not what I consider too much. If Thunderbolt have a weakness it's that they are better riff-writers than songwriters, and while their riffs and leads are often deliriously good, their songs are merely adequate, getting you from point A to B without much flair. Vocalist Tony Johannessen is another weak point, as he has an undistinguished voice without much power or real range - his voice just doesn't have much texture or character, and almost anyone could replace him and you wouldn't lose much. If this band had a tough, gritty singer they could really go places, but for NWOBHM aficionados this is a worthy album.