Steel Messiah was founded in 2013 by Kai Wagner, Marius Rontgen, Daniel Ibach and Julian Scheffold. However, a year later Julian left the band to be replaced by Marcus Glaser who had originally played in another band, Laser, alongside Marius. With Marcus in the band they worked to produce their first EP, the cunningly titled ‘Of Laser and Lightening’, which demonstrates a resolutely old school vibe with its razor sharp riffing and Rob Halford squeals.
Kicking off with ‘Struck by lightning’, it’s immediately clear that this is a band raised on the likes of Maiden, Priest, Kiss and their ilk. A fast-paced number with a ferocious double kick assault, Marcus Glaser tears through numerous leads whilst Marius (vocals and bass) unleashes a high-pitched wail which will either enthral or alienate depending upon your view of helium-fuelled vocals in metal. It’s very clear from the off that Steel Messiah live, breathe, sleep (and possibly shit) metal and their enthusiasm is somewhat infectious. This is particularly true on second track ‘Dr. Steel’ which pulls off the same trick as 3 Inches of Blood’s ‘metal woman’, cramming in as many references to the phrase heavy metal as is realistically possible in a four minute song. Third track ‘Bringer of pain’ has a Priest feel with a sneering vocal and lengthy solos scarring its surface. It’s well played, for sure, although there’s a feeling that the song could be tighter structurally as it seems to drift a little before finally reaching its gang-chant chorus some two minutes in. Aptly titled, ‘Fast and sharp’ has a crackling riff and a tough pace whilst the EP’s highlight is saved for last with the stupidly addictive ‘Motorcycle maniac’ proving to be both fun and exciting. As the band move forward, it would be good to hear them build upon the pounding percussion and over-the-top chorus of this belting metal monster.
Steel Messiah’s debut EP, ‘Of laser and Lightening’, has a lot of potential. The band clearly have impressive musical ability and an ear for a good tune, but on the flip side some of the songs could be more tightly structured in order to have maximum impact and the production is a touch thin and treble-heavy throughout. Whilst you could argue that this is the sound the band are going for, as it certainly echoes the production techniques of the late 70s (check out Angel Witch’s self-titled LP for instance), it would be nice to hear the guitars blaze with a touch more bottom end and for a more coherent mastering job to gel the vocals into the music. Nonetheless, this is an impressive start for the band and it will be interesting to hear how they progress toward a full-blown LP. In the meantime, if you’re after a fix of defiantly old-school heavy metal, then Steel Messiah will certainly fit the bill. 7
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