STAINLESS STEEL – Metal Machine

Back from the 1980’s to resurrect their traditional heavy metal style is the German five-piece Stainless Steel on their third studio album "Metal Machine". This 13 song release opens with a predictable ‘true’ intro in "Back In Your Minds" before the Accept-like "Master of Your Universe" charges forth, with vocalist Ralf Scholz using a semi-melodic nature with early Helloween-like accented high pitch screams to carry across his lyrics.

Clichés abound: the playful guitar/ drum accents on "Fear and Pain", the trailing guitar squeals for the heads down anthem "Fight to Survive", plus an ode to Kiss meets AC/DC hard rock with "Dirty Lover". The band are much better when they play at faster paces- because the rhythm section of bassist Rainer Huxhage and drummer Frank Ullrich sound very lifeless and bored during standard 80’s mid-tempo fare like "Death and Destruction" or closer "Land of Eternal Fire".

There will be some who love their throwback, devil may care attitude and primitive production values. Stainless Steel is not even close to early Helloween, Accept, or Running Wild when it comes to their songwriting or overall execution, thus "Metal Machine" is destined for very rare airplay.

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