Tokyo Blade - Hoist The Colours High

Tokyo Blade formed in 1982 and were considered part of the original NWOBHM movement.  Over the years they have gone through numerous lineup changes and even disbanded twice, but their latest release Hoist The Colours High features original members Alan Marsh on vocals and Andy Boulton on guitars.  This latest chapter in the band’s history has seen them consistently releasing solid albums and this is no exception.  “Screaming Evil” is a strong opener that sets the tone for the album with classic old school metal, but with modern day production.  With a killer vocal performance from Marsh “Too Wired To Sleep” is a hard charging NWOBHM flavored track.  On “Get Me Outa This” the band does a great job of channeling Thin Lizzy, which is especially notable in the vocals and guitars, while the title track is a big sounding, six minute plus Iron Maiden-like epic.  Powerhouse “I’m Gonna Rise” is a slower track with thick, heavy guitars and a more 2026 metal edge, that is quite possibly the standout track here.  “Sweet Desolation” is straight-up melodic rock that really hearkens back to the band’s early days.  Following the revving car engines in the intro, “When The Hammer Falls” is a gritty, straight-ahead, high energy rocker.  Full of sweeping guitars, “Last Man Standing” is an anthemic NWOBHM track that also has a bit of a rawer, less polished edge to it.  After slowing things down on the darker, midtempo “This Time” they show a bit of attitude and swagger, but with a more technical metal side on “Mr. Nobody” (another favorite of mine).  Up next is “Don’t Need No Enemies,” a plain old, good, no frills, hard driving classic metal track.  The Iron Maiden influence is back on the high octane “Devil In The Red Dress” with its galloping beat and twin guitars, while “She Was A Soldier” does a great job of meshing classic metal with storytelling lyrics about determination and resilience dealing with things like abuse and trauma.  They close the album perfectly with the softer, reflective, atmospheric “Wasting My Time.”  While so many bands from the early eighties are long gone or showing they are way beyond their glory days, Hoist The Colours High shows that Tokyo Blade are still going strong  

(Dissonance Productions)