Never was a title more explicit: “The Grand Finale” is KILLER’s swan song, the last studio testament of a band that wrote a chapter in the history of European Metal. Along with perhaps only ACID, KILLER were the first Metal band to find success in Belgium and among the very first in all of continental Europe, at a time when the scene on this side of the channel had yet to be built. Of the original line-up, only Paul “Shorty” Van Camp remains, on vocals and guitar, the soul of the band from the very beginning. It is a farewell made all the more bitter and meaningful by the passing, on February 13th, of longtime drummer “Fat” Leo, with whom Van Camp founded the band in 1980. And yet this is a goodbye, free of forced nostalgia, driven by the grit of someone who still has something to say. Anyone familiar with the early records knows how quickly KILLER’s sound evolved: from the beginnings of “Ready For Hell”, a classic Heavy Metal with clear Hard Rock leanings, to the full-blown Heavy and Speed Metal of “Wall Of Sound” and “Shock Waves”. The great merit of “The Grand Finale” lies in its ability to embody all of these facets, bringing together in a single work the sounds that defined the band throughout its career. And then there are the songs: tracks that get stuck in your head on first listen, that fire you up and make you want to sing at the top of your lungs. There are slower moments too, which still manage to draw you in with their guitar textures, and mid-paced ones that let you fully appreciate the skills of each member. No filler, just substance. The album is released by High Roller Records and, given the sound and the importance of going out in style, KILLER could not have chosen better: this is a label that stands as an absolute reference point for the most traditional Heavy Metal. A farewell with heads held high, as befits true pioneers. Go check their awesome website https://killer4you.be and the label www.facebook.com/hrrecords.