I first became familiar with Lady Beast when they played the inaugural Legions of Metal festival in Chicago. Despite playing a brief set, I was impressed by their professionalism. In particular, I was impressed by frontwoman Deborah Levine, whose voice at times reminded me of Bruce Dickinson. Needless to say, Lady Beast won a new fan that evening. Fast forward a few years later and these Steel City sentinels are still going strong with their latest album, The Vulture’s Amulet.
The Vulture’s Amulet is to the point traditional metal. Some might confuse this for redundancy, but Lady Beast escapes these trappings with an unrelenting edge that so many in the NWOTHM scene lack. On the fast and heavy opener, “Metal Machine”, the band proclaims their mission statement: “Built for speed, I’m a metal machine.” Over the course of about 40 minutes, Lady Beast proves they don’t just talk the talk. They walk the walk.
Much like their previous albums, The Vulture’s Amulet is a well produced and well put together body of work which takes from various influences within the traditional metal realm. “The Gift” is a motörcharged speedster of a song with dramatic vocals and lyrics set to NWOBHM riffs and grimy bass. On the opposite side of the spectrum is “The Champion”: a victorious battle hymn which recalls the glory days of 80s US power metal. My favorite song is “Sacrifice to the Unseen”. This eerie ode to the supernatural evokes classic Mercyful Fate, right down to the sinister riffing.
The album ends in the spirit it began with the high speed, high energy “Vow of the Valkyrie”. This track successfully marries the speed and power metal stylings scattered throughout the course of the album. It’s nothing new, but who cares? There’s nothing wrong with a band who borrows from the past as long as they create something memorable for the future. In this case, Lady Beast has created another strong slab of throwback metal: bound to satisfy the underground. Now check out this album and unleash your inner beast!
7 out of 10
Label: Reaper Metal Productions
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Warlock, Satan’s Hallow, Iron Maiden