VELVET THUNDER

Generation Steel is a new band that was formed in 2019 by ex-Dead Man’s Hand and ex-Bullet Train guitarist, the absolutely wonderfully named, Jack The Riffer. It’s quite strange that this is the first time I have heard the name and I simply cannot believe that it is a name I have never even considered before, it is absolute genius and I take my hat off to you sir, I haven’t stopped laughing since I saw it and even now I am in stitches as it is the best name ever for a heavy metal guitarist.

This is one of the reasons why I like power metal so much, yes, it is a wonderfully loud and heavy genre with lots of guitars but I also like the fact that the bands have a little fun too. It’s an incredible music form and so over the top that the bands, albums and performances become legendary in the process of both having and delivering maximum enjoyment. The music inspires intense loyalty and metalheads unite over the world in appreciation of each and every metal band, a true brotherhood.

Generation Steel now joins the heavy metal family and a most welcome addition the band is too. Come on, you know the format already which means that Generation Steel has a vocalist so strong that he can peel paint from walls with his incendiary delivery with drums and bass being stupendous and unrelenting and on top of this are swathe after swathe of perfect guitars laying down tremendous riffs and blistering solos. Rio Ullrich is a singer that I do not know too much about but he has the much desired classic metal voice with a touch on Accept’s Mark Tornillo about him and he drives the bands aggressive style forward with panache. Michael Kaspar (ex-Squeeler) on bass and Martin Winter (ex-Squeeler/ex-Scene X Dream) are the action packed power unit doing all of the hard work and I swear that Winter hits the drums as hard as the drum god himself, the late Cozy Powell. Over this wall of sound Pascal Lorenz (ex-Oscura/ex-Corbian) supplies incendiary breaks and is ably supported by the afore mentioned Jack the Riffer on rhythm guitar, a hard working and gloriously together twin guitar pairing.

Think Accept, Helloween, Primal Fear and, of course, Judas Priest and you will have a good idea of where the band is at. Not a ballad in sight, just unrelenting heavy metal that over the course of 59 minutes batters you to a pulp and you simply revel in the pure enjoyment and thrill of another slab of intense heavy metal heaven.