There's enough variety of mood and tempo to keep you engaged over the longer term.

Whilst on the surface the Blasted To Static handle may be a relatively new phenomenon, if you're plugged in to the Power Metal or shred scene the names of those involved almost certainly won't be!

Pride of place has to go to Racer X vocalist Jeff Martin who returns to the scene after an extended absence, whilst the rest of the band comprises of Australian shredder Stu Marshall (Empires Of Eden, Dungeon), bassist Rev Jones (Steelheart, Leslie West) and much admired session drummer Clay T. Their aim apparently was quite simply to recapture that high energy, riff driven Power Metal sound that made RX stand out in the first place.

Their eponymous debut first surfaced a couple of months ago (it was actually a little too late for last issue*), but that doesn't mean we should let it sail off into the sunset without giving it the once over, no indeed. I was half expecting this to be an uncompromising run through of a set-list characterised by the zillion miles an hour shred stuff with which RX made their name – ribald opener 'Suicide King' certainly gave that impression – but that's only half the story (well, maybe seventy-eighty percent of it).

However, having framed this as a thumping riff and solo fest (Marshall is in brilliant form!), there's enough variety of mood and tempo to keep you engaged over the longer term. 'Lovesick Blue Pt. 1' and 'Requiem Pt. 2', for example, have that haunting 'Beyond The Realms Of Death' feel, whilst the bellicose 'The Hammer' invites more Judas Priest-like comparisons. Then there's 'Repossession Of Nothing' which has definite hints of Iron Maiden playing Primal Fear (and for my money introduces a direction the guys would do well to explore further going forward).

As I said earlier, Marshall's six string histrionics do tend to dominate proceedings a little, but as a frustrated guitar player myself, that's really no bad thing!

Dave Cockett

(*Fireworks Magazine #75)