As Let the Soul Spread Its Wings shows, not every effort to try and review a band from Russia/Ukraine will turn into a successful find. The moniker itself should have alerted me as Men in Metal at best will end up with something Manowar-like, but more than likely an attempt to overcompensate for weaknesses and overstate the obvious.

The band’s pic of three dudes of various degrees of ruggedness, yet not looking very metallic, also should have given pause. When Intro started playing though, the thought was that this “lyrical drinking song” simply prefaces the whole album of lower quality Russian take on Korpiklaani. That would not be half as bad, as the rest of Let the Soul Spread Its Wings took me a lot of patience to sit all the way through. Although there are moments of “normal” melodic power metal (opening of Only the Wind, Secrets of the North), more songs towards the end of the album, and Men in Metal know how to play a metal guitar solo (Day by Day, The Time Has Come), the album on the whole just sounds plain weird. Corniest lyrics (thanks to my understanding of Russian), some female backing, repeating choruses, and very little grit, Men in Metal sound like late 70s – early 80s Soviet vocal-instrumental collectives Communist Party would allow to come off as “rock”. Equipped with some heavier production, today’s Men in Metal can make a play for an “edgy” pop while playing on the Russian Channel 1 – music acceptable enough for broader audience.

Without subjecting myself to multiple listens here, sorry, there are some good double bass runs, and tremolo guitar playing, but on the whole this is trudging through some of not the best of Soviet-Russian music history with an attempt for modern semi-commercial and lightest shade of heavy metal stamp. I have allowed myself to move from calling it abomination first, then considering it weak, but ultimately settling for misguided. Yet, don’t expect a good grade or promotion out of me to the people I call friends. Perhaps some of their ladies, when in the mood for jumpier pricklier music, can give this a shot.