Emerging out of the 1980s, Battleaxe is one of the notable bands of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene. Releasing Bury this Town in 1983 and quickly following up with Power from the Universe in the following year, Battleaxe fell on hard times afterwards, and would not release an album all the way until 2014 with Heavy Metal Sanctuary. To celebrate Power from the Universe’s 30th anniversary, the album gets a new breath from Steamhammer/SPV in 2015 with a great reissue from one fantastic heavy metal group.

The album begins with its most recognized track, Chopper Attack, starting off slow but pounding the heavy riffs quickly with a great classic sound alongside the prowess of the vocals. Make it in America continues the heavy metal bliss, more with an AC/DC style rocking, but nonetheless keeping the tunes catchy and extremely memorable.

Power from the Universe brings out the big 80s guns in fantastic style in Metal Rock, keeping riffs groovy and extremely fun. The same goes for the following track License to Rock, proving they knew how to write songs worth remembering well after the band had been silenced. The original album can be argued as a classic, but the reissue brings some bonus tracks to the table, most notably their song Killer Woman from their 2005 EP. Between the bombastic sounds, the vocals layered over to create a catchy chorus, and the rip roaring solos, the song Killer Woman still holds some serious staying power.

Battleaxe is a band worth remembering from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal era. Though they only released two full length albums in the 1980s, Power from the Universe holds its ground still today. As one of my favorite bands from the era, Battleaxe’s music is hard to shake once they get a hold with their heavy and rocking riffs.