This is a tireless juggernaut of an album and as one of the tracks proclaims – 'Rock Will Never Die'!

After a gap of twenty-nine years, Grim Reaper has released 'Walking In The Shadows'. With front-man Steve Grimmett in fine voice, it's as if time has stood still since 1987's 'Rock You To Hell'. Grimmett has a caterwauling voice in the Bruce Dickinson envelope and he uses it to the max on pretty much every song.

The sound is at the intersection of Heavy Metal and Classic Rock, with the riffs being simple but effective. The song-writing is in full-on heroic and raucous mode with titles such as 'From Hell', 'Thunder', 'Come Hell Or High Water'... you get the message?! The songs do have melody though, plus clever vocal phrasing and tasty guitar interludes; the guitar work in 'Call Me In The Morning' and 'Temptation' is exceptional.

Credit must also be given to the production, all instruments and vocals come through loud and clear and it sounds good, both quiet and much more importantly... loud! In terms of commerciality, the mid-paced 'Thunder' takes me back to the mid-eighties with its clever synth punctuation, and it may well have been a hit in those more Rock-friendly times.

The band is presently touring and with this album plus their back catalogue, they have the material as well as the chops and pipes, to please. This is a tireless juggernaut of an album and as one of the tracks proclaims – 'Rock Will Never Die'!

Rob McKenzie