Friday, January 30, 2026

Blades of Steel--Blades of Steel (CD) {2025 Independent}


Fantasy, witches, and sorcery are the name of the game here with this epic traditional metal band from Brazil. Their sound is reminiscent of Manowar, but with a dose of almost-thrash. The vocalist is good. Her vocal melodies and tone are perfect for this band and she sings with a true metal style rather than a flowery style like so many other female-fronted bands. The guitarists are no slouches, either, they have riffs, and tons of them. I really like the recording overall, especially on the vocals. They're smooth, not too much out front, and recorded to make the most of her voice - someone knew what they were doing. The rhythm section is also highlighted in the same way, the bass guitar being super punchy like Verni or DeMaio. This is an excellent effort by a new band that I think will only get better with time, and I hope they put out more material.