The inexhaustible fount of metal that is Helsinki has given us the traditional heavy metal of Angel Sword, who just released their sophomore album a few days ago. Neon City's a NWOBHM-flavored mix between hard rock and metal in the style of its heroes of old, and though a few tracks run a bit slow here, most are excellent.

The band's dual guitars get the majority of the mix, grabbing attention with a thick overdrive, punctuated by some ringing picking that sounds as if it's lifted straight from mid-80s Judas Priest, especially on Tower of Light. The real attention-grabber is guitarist/vocalist Jerry Razors, whose gravelly vocals are more like Lemmy's, or maybe early Rock 'n' Rolf's, than like Halford's. The choruses are full of hooks, and even though Razors' voice isn't what a casual listener would call pretty, the band puts some effort into making the vocal harmonies smooth. As is common with modern NWOBHM bands, the faster pieces are the better listen -- Neon City and Evil Eye are both practically anthemic in their choruses. All the tracks are quickly over, even the slower mid-tempo ones.

The slower songs are still good, and they keep a steady pace, but they don't have quite the same energy. The guitars, especially the twin-guitar work on the solos, keep things interesting here where Razors' vocals, which languish when they aren't barking at speed, can't keep the tunes fresh. This one's definitely an improvement over their previous full-length, and though it still drags occasionally, Neon City stays at full brilliance the majority of the time.

Bandcamp: https://angelsword.bandcamp.com/album/neon-city.