As far as heavy metal goes, my preference is generally for the more extreme and heavy stuff. I've always had a soft spot for some good classic metal though, and the key thing for artists who continue with this style is that they need to write good songs. In the extreme end of metal you can often get away with just having a great sound and writing a good riff here and there; when there is less chaos in the music though, you have to find that balance of catchy hooks and engaging song structures, otherwise you'll lose those the listener. Bands like Steel Panther might sound no different to Van Halen or Ratt (and their humour might be questionable sometimes), but they write some absolutely amazing tunes. The reason Iron Maiden have kept going for so long, and still sell-out stadiums whilst playing sets full of tracks from their latest albums, is that they are brilliant song-writers who still know how to write a hook you can head-bang to. So Dan Wande is definitely onto something with his latest EP, because this is some positively addictive heavy metal; it sounds great, it's well produced, and the three songs are all quite captivating.
The opener 'Angels Crying' is a grand and epic way to open the record. It's got a slow pace to it with a stomping rhythm from start to finish. It doesn't take much to imagine a of chorus of 'Hey! Hey! Hey!' hollering out from a sea of fists pumping along in time with the beat. Dan's vocals sound really natural too and not overly processed, so you can hear the soul in his voice. At times the track feels like it's fighting the temptation to kick into the next level, and in a way I would have liked to hear Dan take this track into a faster gear, but nonetheless my foot didn't stop tapping throughout the song.
'Lady Steelheart' feels like a hybrid of Deep Purple and Motley Crue, and it's absolutely brilliant. It's definitely got more grit to it than 'Angels Crying' and it's my favourite track of the three. This time Dan isn't afraid to move things up, with a cracking key-change half way through that counterpoises a rather Yngvie-esque guitar solo. The track soon drops back again into it's original tune and we get a more bluesy, Slash style solo to complete the song. Dan's vocals are really impressive on this track too, conjuring up a bit more swagger and tenacity in his voice.
The title track opens with a strange organ intro that reminds me of the opening moments of Black Widow's 'Sacrifice' album. After this though there's none of the slow building occult-prog that Black Widow made, instead the track kicks straight in with a belting riff and a tuneful guitar lead. The track does go a bit prog as it continues on though, with an extended and layered song structure, some flashy guitar solos and even a fabulously retro keyboard solo. The performances on this track are quite amazing, especially the death-metal speed guitar riffs towards the end of the track. Dan has assembled a seriously talented group of musicians here.
I really enjoyed this EP, and I think Dan could have a brilliant future for his solo music. He is definitely someone who appreciates good musicianship, and it shows throughout this record in both the instrumentals and his vocals which manage to be precise but still expressive across the EP. If you like the sound of classic metal but want something that has a deeper level of songwriting and instrumentation, then Dan Wande is someone you should definitely check out.
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