Death Or Glory from Italy. My first thought, when I saw the album and the band’s corny eighties heavy metal logo, was something close to ’oh my god, this cannot be real!’ Things got even worse when I saw some of the band members’ names: Vyper, Danyhell and Kriminal. With all that in mind I started listening to the album and to my surprise the music was actually quite decent. Ok, the whole album is a total rip-off of the eighties heavy metal scene and bands like Manowar, Running Wild and Judas Priest in particular, but nevertheless it is played with a conviction that bands like Hammerfall lack. After listening to this album for several times, and a glance at the lyrics in the booklet, I came to realize that this album should not be taken too seriously but viewed in a more relaxed light and maybe even looked at from a comical perspective. Although I am somehow afraid that these guys actually might be deadly serious, there are some mitigating circumstances that speak in their favour. First of all, their lyrics are so absurd that no one can take this too seriously and secondly, they were probably barely infants when Judas Priest and Manowar were at the climax of their careers. Finally, like I already said before, they play with a conviction that is simply amazing.

The sound of this album, believe it or not, is typical eighties with loud hollow drums and guitars that sound slightly muffled most of the time (apart from the guitar solos, which of course dominate everything else like in the days of old). It is especially this sound that sets this band apart from a band like Hammerfall; but it is the package as a whole that makes this band actually slightly interesting to listen to, unlike Hammerfall. Furthermore; once in awhile there are actually some original parts on this album like the excellent ”Dawn Of Victory” although I must admit these parts are very few and far between. Don’t expect anything innovative or truly magnificent from this Italian band. It has all been done before and it has all been played before. But what you can expect from this album is a decent straightforward heavy metal album that comes straight from the eighties and which is played with true conviction. It is slightly lacking in the vocal department and the lyrics aren’t even worth reading, but one should not take this album too serious. Turn back the time, get into the old Manowar mood and to your surprise this album might turn out to be quite enjoyable!