The spirit of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal - A review of Thunderstick's Something Wicked This Way Comes

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%