Bleeding Steel is a fast-paced science-fiction movie with solid acting performances, stunning visual effects and exotic locations in Australia and China. The highlights are the scenes inside and outside the Sydney Opera towards the climax and the scenes in the laboratory plane during the falling action. The movie has a concise length that never overstays its welcome. This highly entertaining movie with a big budget and a balanced mixture of rookie and star actors is much better than its critical reception because it manages to keep its audience on the edge of their seats throughout the film.

The story revolves around a young woman of Chinese origin living in Australia who has a mechanical heart and biogenetic blood substitutes unbeknownst to her that once saved her life when she was a very young child. She is tracked down by relentless criminals that have been looking for the scientific iventions in her body for decades. She is secretely protected by her father, a former police officer who works as a cook at his daughter's university. She is also mysteriously approached by a youngster who seems to have a romantic interest in her. The three parties involved will change the young woman's life.

The weakest element of the film is its story. Even if one considers this movie to be closer to fiction than to science, it still features poorly developed side stories, minor plot holes and highly exaggerated scenes that put the film closer to a juvenile fantasy flick than anything else. The dialogues are sometimes also of poor quality. The movie might therefore appeal to younger audiences but occasionally frustrate more experienced cinephiles. The scriptwriting of such a big production would have requested more care and details.

In the end, Bleeding Steel is an entertaining, lush and even spectacular science-fiction movie with numerous action scenes and atmospheric cyberpunk elements. Its only but major flaw is the subpar screenwriting with cringeworthy dialogues, several minor plot holes and poorly developed side stories. This entertaining blockbuster is good for what it is but far from leaving a lasting impression.

Thunderstick is a British drummer who has been involved in legendary New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Samson in the late seventies and early eighties. He also had his own band that released an extended play followed by a full length in the eighties only to split up and never be heard of again in the late eighties. He has recently been resurrecting the band and released a first record in thirty-three years with Something Wicked This Way Comes. Some of the material on this album had been written for a shelved second studio record in the eighties while other tracks are completely new. The release obviously has a nostalgic vintage spirit and could have been released three decades earlier. Old and new song material sound surprisingly coherent.

Still, this release isn't your ordinary traditional heavy metal record. The release also ventures into hard rock and blues rock territories at times. The drum play is obviously quite domineering, dynamic and versatile as the band leader shows off his skills and tricks without ever taking too much space. The bass guitar supports the drums appropriately but could be more domineering. The guitar play is versatile and serviceable without being too extravagant or outstanding. Just like in the eighties, this album also has a female lead singer with Lucie V and she sings with grounded energy that suits the instrumental work really well. She has the attitude, feeling and skills of a hard rock singer that entertains us from start to finish.

Among the record's greatest cuts, one has to cite gloomy mid-paced rocking epic ''The Shining'' that brings more atmospheric and elaborate hard rock music of the late seventies back to life. ''Lights (Take Me Away)'' shows another side of the band and is quite upbeat, melodic and catchy as it would have made for a great single in the early eighties. ''Blackwing'' is the most experimental track instrumentally as each instrument has the occasion to shine in seven and a half moody minutes with the drum play being particularly outstanding.

There aren't too many negative elements to mention regarding this release. Sadly, the least convincing track on the release is opener ''Dark Night Black Night'' as the lead vocals sound pressured because they are unable to find the steady pace of the rhythm section. Don't get fooled by this first negative impression as the chemistry between the band members evolves significantly throughout the other nine tunes.

In the end, Thunderstick's Something Wicked This Way Comes is a welcome comeback record after almost three decades of silence and sounds as if time had stood still for all those years. One could criticize the band for being stuck in the past but one should rather enjoy a vibrant record on the thin line between hard rock and heavy metal. This album has the liberating pioneer spirit of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and easily beats most juvenile traditional heavy metal bands these days.

Final rating: 75%

It took Italian power metal quintet Trick or Treat four years to come around with the second and last part of its Rabbits' Hill concept based upon influential adventure and survival novel Watership Down by Richard Adams. Was the record worth the wait? Yes, it was. Would I recommend this album to power metal fans? Yes, I would. Is it as great as its predecessor? No, it isn't. While the first part was extraordinary, this second part is only very good. That's still good enough for me but it could have been even better. If one takes the two parts together, Rabbits' Hill might still be the best conceptual power metal duology since the first two Avantasia records one and a half decades earlier.

Let's start with the positive parts. The cover artwork is as beautiful, intriguing and memorable as the predecessor's. The clear production still does the epic concept justice. The lyrics still stay true to the novel and retell it very entertainingly. Alessandro Conti's melodic clean vocals are still gripping. Most of the guests on this release can convince and Tim Owens' energetic performance on the gripping ''They Must Die'' is particularly outstanding. The album includes other extraordinary songs such as the dynamic, fast and powerful opener ''Inle' (The Black Rabbit of Death)'' that flirts with speed and thrash metal influences and even includes some vivid death metal growls.

On the negative side, the song writing on this record is less concise than before. The predecessor offered twelve sharp songs with a running time of forty-six minutes. This output only features eleven tunes but has a running time of one hour. Especially the epic ''The Showdown'' overstays its welcome with a running time close to eleven minutes and the concluding ''Last Breath'' could have also been more focused. Not all guest vocalists can fully convince on this release. Sara Squadrani's vocals in the ballad ''Never Say Goodbye'' don't match Alessandro Conti's soulful performance and are quite exchangeable. Tony Kakko's participation in ''United'' is good without being spectacular as he performs in a way recalling early efforts in his career but neglecting his more dynamic, experimental and versatile side that he has been developing over the past decade.

In the end, Rabbits' Hill Pt. 2 is a very good power metal record but not as extraordinary as its excellent predecessor four years earlier. Still, if you have listened to the first part, you deserve listening to this conclusion to the story. Trick or Treat has developed from a Helloween cover band to one of the most exciting groups in the current power metal scene. The band's storytelling is epic without being pretentious, the instrumental work is diversified, energetic and inspired and the vocals are melodic, soulful and strong. Despite a few minor flaws, this record is still a very good European power metal effort.

Final rating: 80%