Holy Cross - Place Your Bets

Apparently these guys are French, but I refuse to hold it against them! This is their second album, and I want to go back and find the debut as this is solid power metal with thrash influences that contains great vocals, solid riffs, deft drumming, and some wonderful bass nuances. Influenced as much by Jag Panzer as Megadeth, this is metal with a real edge to it. Mickaël Champon often sings with a rough raw Dave Mustaine feel, but he can also go up the register when he wants to. I have no idea who the producer is on this album, which is a real shame as he has given all of the musicians the chance to shine while also maintaining a very firm grip on the overall sound. They can crunch it with the best of them, and the result is an album that will surely make any metalhead smile, I know I did. This is easily one of the finest albums I have come across from the Pure Steel label, and while it doesn’t do anything dramatically new, what it does it does with finesse and plenty of balls. Superb.