I’ve been looking forward to Sacred Leather’s long-awaited sophomore album, Keep the Fire Burning, since this past May when they appeared at the annual Legions of Metal Festival at Reggies in Chicago. Those who have been following the band more closely than I have waited even longer, as its now been 7 years since the release of their debut full length, Ultimate Force (2018). Yet as the old saying goes, good things come to those wait. In the case of Keep the Fire Burning, however, simply branding it as “good” would be a disservice to the musical contents that lie within.
Despite a prolonged absence, Fire sees Sacred Leather picking up right where they left off with Ultimate Force, specializing in a brand of traditional metal that’s as charmingly retro as it is uber-melodic. At their heaviest, the band unleashes wild, pedal to the metal speedsters in the vein of Painkiller era Judas Priest and fellow NWOTHM troupe, Traveler (R.I.P.). While they have an incredible grip on this formula (better than most of their peers, I should add), they’re also not afraid to tap into their melodic side, and do so for the better part of this outing. When they do, imagine, if you will, songs that evoke the moody and melodic side of ’80s giants Lizzy Borden, Dokken, and Whitesnake. Have I got your attention now?
Though primarily known as a drummer for acts like Skeletonwitch, Demiricous, and Flesher, frontman Dee Wrathchild proves himself as a singer on this outing, unleashing an old school vocal attack that’s equal parts punch and passion, very similar to the likes of Lizzy Borden and Don Dokken. This can be heard on cuts like “Fallen Angel” and “Tear Out My Heart”, the latter a melodic metal ballad that might be the best Lizzy Borden tear-jerker never written. An equally impressive standout is “Wake Me Up”: A massive melodic metal monster, complete with sexy Whitesnake ’87 riffage and sensual melodies that’d have the late Tawny Kitaen doing cartwheels over cars in no time.
For those who like their metal on the meat and potatoes side, Sacred Leather have you covered! The one-two punch of “Spitfire at Night” and “Phantom Highway (Hell is Comin’ Down)” is the perfect high octane attack a band wants when kicking off a release of this nature. This is feelgood speed, tailormade for tearing up the highway and turning the volume dial to 11. The title track also manages to tap this vein efficiently, while finale “Mistress of the Sun” conjures up Queensrÿche vibes to bring the album to a grandiose close. What can I say? Pomp metal in this economy is a scarcity, and I’ll take what I can get!
True to its title, Sacred Leather keep the fire burning with their anything but a sophomore slump. This is a piping hot platter of hard and heavy heaven, guaranteed to please headbangers both young and old (Who are, let’s not kid ourselves, still young at heart). Come tomorrow morning, as you fight the virtual masses for your Triumph reunion tickets, Keep the Fire Burning will serve as the perfect soundtrack to get you in that heavy metal parking lot mindset, and keep you warm all winter long.
8 out of 10
Label: King Volume Records
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Judas Priest, Lizzy Borden, Traveler