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ASKA
Fire Eater

Pure Steel (2013)
Rating: 8/10

There are a few bands with the moniker Aska, but this Texan combo are probably the oldest and best of the lot. Formed back in 1990, Aska are a straight up powerful metal band of the highest order. Fire Eater is their sixth opus but only their third this side of the millennium, with Absolute Power (2007) being their last foray into the studio.

Aska are certainly a band for whom the term “cult status” would surely apply and Fire Eater is an explosive record, featuring killer soaring vocals from ex-Omen vocalist George Call and a wall of sound that meanders into thrash territory with the frothing bass of Keith Knight (Warrion) and the volatile drums of Danny White (ex-Omen), and then there is that immense guitar sound courtesy of Call and Chris Menta.

This really is a wholesome metal record that takes me back to the mid-80s when bands such as Armored Saint and Meliah Rage – and to some extent a weightier Judas Priest and Iron Maiden – were doing the rounds. This is especially the case with Call’s impressive vocal range, which is exemplary on the fantastic and fiery ‘Dead Again’ and the cover of the Priest classic ‘The Ripper’.

Fire Eater is such a good metal album that has all the hallmarks of a great 80s styled record. In fact, it’s so embedded in that era that fans of modern metal may actually find it rather lo-fi in its quality, but for me this is molten metal magic combining classic Maiden-esque twin leads, especially on ‘Son Of A God’ (which is pretty much Iron Maiden from head to toe) and the white hot rumbling of closer ‘Eye Of The Serpent’, featuring more wondrously melodic guitar work and burning hot thrash power.

It’s fair to say that there aren’t many bands who have that 80s quality but who can adapt to the modern climate, though Aska are such a pure force of cold steel on the skull that I’m literally stunned as to why these guys aren’t bigger. Some detractors may argue that this is dated metal, but why change a formula that doesn’t need fixing? When heavy metal is played this genuine my only advice is to let the mellow strains of ‘Angela’ wash over you and succumb to the volcanic eruptions of ‘Red Cell’ with its orchestrated lacing.

Yes, George Call does sound like Bruce Dickinson, but so do so many vocalists, though when the music is this sizzling one can forgive such archetype warbling. Time to let the hair down (if you have any left) and bang your head until your heart’s content.

Neil Arnold

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