Masquerade – “Surface of Pain”
This release goes against everything that people find “cool”. Why? Because the vocalist actually sings, and the rest of the band write real songs. That’s right, this is a heavy metal / power metal release! This is actually from 1994, but METAL BLADE is still pushing it. If you hate bands that play their instruments and make real music, then you’ll hate this band. “State of Grace”, song #3, should give you an idea; the vocalist has a “high-range” voice, there are plenty of heavy, yet melodic riffs, and the drummer follows the rhythm of the song, instead of trying to prove that he is the fastest drummer in the world. In short, this is polished heavy metal!