I’m getting pretty sick of the retro Metal movement coming out of Sweden and other parts of Europe. When I see the fringes, patchy moustaches, spandex and coloured leather, it just screams inauthentic to me. No doubt that the people in these groups are competent at what they do, but if I wanted to listen to something that wants to sound like it’s come from their cool uncle’s mothball-scented LP collection, I’d rather just go straight to the source. BLACK CYCLONE as a band are not going to be winning an originality contest either, but there’s this an urgency to "Death Is King" that has sucked me right in, and they escape the aforementioned trappings too. They play what I’d consider a mix of Speed and Thrash. If you need a point of reference, it’s bands from the west coast of the USA (METALLICA, AGENT STEEL), east coast (OVERKILL) and then West Germany (IRON ANGEL, ACCEPT). They also definitely have a few fingers in the contemporary Swedish traditional Metal sound. Aside from the fatiguing first track (that should have had a minute shaved off), you’ve got a short, sharp, enjoyable record with no filler. The band have a knack for writing a good hook, with some great riffs and choruses, especially ‘This Is It’. This is helped by the fact that Linus from TRIAL is a bloke that is no slouch of a vocalist, and he harnesses the spirit of Blitz for a superbly ear-and-window-shattering performance overall. Play it loud! More information at: www.facebook.com/blackcycloneband, www.cruzdelsurmusic.com