• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Thieves of the Sun is the debut album from Germany's Elmsfire. As with so many albums these days, there is nothing new but I have to admit, once I got past the spoken-word intro of opening track "Towards the Gate of Hercules" and the riffing began in earnest, I had a smile on my face. Guitarists Doro and Germano Sanna have a Thrash quality to their playing and vocalist Erdmann possesses a strong, gruff voice. There are keyboards throughout Thieves of the Sun but they are used mainly for harmony, letting the guitars and vocals take center stage. The first half of the album is slightly stronger than the second half, but as a whole, it is quite solid. The sound is a mix of a more loose, gritty Orden Ogan and early Metallica. The former comprises the bulk of the album while the latter is most evident on the track "Ahab," which features guitars that have a pensive, far-away feel not unlike "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)."

Thieves of the Sun is hardly original, but if that were a crime, there would be a hell of a lot less Heavy Metal out there to enjoy. Elmsfire is off to promising start.