Elm Street, Knock ‘Em Out…With a Metal Fist
Release Date: Out Now
Review By: Tristan Peterson
The sophomore effort of trad metal outfit Elm Street has its work cut out for it, from having to follow the highly (and widely) regarded Barbed Wire Metal to the mere name of the album: ‘Knock ‘em Out…With a Metal Fist’, there is an enormous amount of promise in play that, for a lesser band, would be all but insurmountable. Elm Street have given that incumbent promise a swift, and powerful, punch in the face…with a metal fist. (C’mon, you saw that coming; it’s going to be tough trying not to end each paragraph with that phrase).
The furious gallops and blistering melodies that Elm Street fans know and love are in full force, played with the passion the band is celebrated for, and produced and a polished mix that makes this album more than the sum of its parts. Right down to the cover you can see this whole affair was, not so much meticulously, put together with as much reverence for the eighties metal world the current age has become so nostalgic for. That is not to say this is purely a love letter to the likes of Rhodes and the eighties; there is plenty here for even newcomers to get a kick out of…with a metal fist. (O.K, doesn’t work all the time).
A top level display of traditional metal, with some hearty lashings of thrash and some death metal, with only a minor gripe with the vocals on the initial listen; and you’ll grow to like them, as it fits the fiery and gritty dynamic of the album. From ‘Heart Racer’s‘ old school vigour to the relatively sedate ‘Leaving It All Behind‘, ‘Knock ’em Out… With a Metal Fist‘ is well worth a personal treat; so go and get knocked out by Elm Streets, ‘Knock ’em Out… With a Metal Fist‘.
