Crucifire - Saviours

As if the extra "u" in their name weren't enough of a clue, the Saviours are a California band intent on resurrecting the power and glory of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. There are some contemporary metal and stoner rock influences audible on Crucifire, sure, but the band's heart is clearly with Saxon, Iron Maiden, and those other sons of Motörhead who brought a hint of punk's energy to a previously stagnant metal scene. There's one major problem, however. The NWOBHM bands were the last to whom vocal chops were as important as instrumental chops. Bands took pride in having distinctive, technically adept singers with a lot of personality. In comparison, the Saviours have singer Austin Barber, who is undoubtedly a perfectly nice guy but unfortunately not a particularly good singer. His style is more of the post-hardcore hoarse shout, a musical style that has its place but which meshes uneasily with the elegant riffing on tunes like "Holy Slaughter" and "Heathen Eye." Crucifire is still an entertaining album for anyone with a fondness for this particular strain of metal, but it's not hard to hear how it could have been a lot better. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide