Reviewed by Andy Shaw

Hailing from Dayton, Ohio, the members of Four Star Revival are veterans of the music scene all cutting their teeth in other bands before coming together over a shared desire to use their talents to glorify God. This is their debut album, released through Aztek Records and offers up a thick slice of classic power metal. With the exception of the keys and synths of the intro and the strings on prog-tinged closer "Fade", the instrumentation is a straightforward assault on guitar, bass and drums. Four Star Revival set their stall out early with the bruising "Red" providing thick slices of guitar and bass, riffs galore and a technical guitar solo. The band show their softer, more melodic side with "Somewhere To Run" leading off with acoustic guitar before gradually building to an anthemic chorus. The strength however is when they are roaring along at top speed, ripping out riff after riff and pummelling the listener offering the occasional respite of a breakdown or a writhing guitar solo. The production is impressive with enough polish to bring out the power of the guitars and drums without taking it too far and losing the hard hitting edge that you need from a good metal record. This album has all the ingredients of a classic power metal album without feeling the need to try and overcomplicate with keyboards. A strong and accomplished debut.

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