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Crying Steel: Time Stands Steel

Melodic Hard Rock/Metal

3.5/5.0

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My Graveyard Productions
by Craig Hartranft,  07.13.2013

For Italy's Crying Steel the road has been long, and more than a little rocky, for some success. In the Eighties the cut a bunch of demos, an EP, and then finally an debut in 1987, only to disband in 1990. They regrouped in 2003, and in nearly the same amount of time, cut a comeback album, The Steel Is Back in 2007. Now, another six years later, they resurface with Time Stands Steel. But the bumps continue: the vocalist on this album, Stefano Palmonari, has been replaced by Alessandro "Ramon" Sonato.

Crying Steel: black and white live.

Considering their origins, you can guess what Crying Steel is after. Their style is straight Eighties melodic heavy metal with a good dose of hard rock groove. They work from a strong base of a hefty and steady rhythm section, and then top it with clean vocals and lots of spry guitar solos. You know the formula. Sometimes they work in the speed metal angle at times, bumping up the pace, as on Starline or Rockin' Train.

And, fundamentally, the music is about the best part of Time Stands Steel. But after practicing and playing your craft for better than 30 years, you damn well better be better than average. Crying Steel is, and some of the best cuts include Starline, Looking @, the very catchy Shutdown or Beverly Kills, and Metal Way. Another advantage to this recording is that it's full-length metal album without a single ballad. With a few exceptions, like Beverly Kills, the weakest point here is the rather nonsensical lyrics that can only come from a average command of the English language. Nevertheless, for Eighties melodic hard rock and heavy metal brought forward to the second decade of the 21st century, Crying Steel's Time Stands Steel is the real deal.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

For Eighties melodic hard rock and heavy metal brought forward to the second decade of the 21st century, Crying Steel's Time Stands Steel is the real deal.

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