The heart of Cryonic Temple is singer Glen Metal whose voice sounds very similar to Steve Grimmet (Grim Reaper) and guitarist Esa "Freewheeler" Ahonen, whose traditional way of playing his instrument is marked by the drive of K.K. Downing (Judas Priest). After their first album - Chapter 1, Underground Symphony Records - this talented band returns to kick our a**. In order to have the best possible conditions for their second album - Blood, Guts & Glory - the band signed a contract with Limb Music Products. As they had for their debut album, they again worked with Pelle Saether as producer and the result speaks for itself : explosive !!!

You can read this sentence on Limb's sticker : "Melodic Power Speed Metal. This original mixture of Grim Reaper, Manowar and Helloween will not only make the hearts of lovers of traditional metal beat faster. There's no need for hype - the music says it all !". Nice sentence, good selling argument. We have just one question for Limb Music Products : considering this band rules - hell it f*cking does - where is the promo of this album ? I suppose it is still on its way. By horse may be ? ... because this album was released in 2003 and here at metalreviews.com we are still waiting for this promo. I am wondering if the above sentence - in order to have the best possible conditions - should be applied here. Strange way to promote a new signed band! May be the 4.5/10 from Rock Hard Germany has something to do with the "lost promo". Fortunately, luck (and the wonderful art cover) was on the side of Cryonic Temple as I bought this album a month ago following the description of the band on Limb Music website ... and considering above all that Limb's horse (the one who delivers the promos) has lost his way to our mail-box :)

Let's come back to Cryonic Temple's music ... which hardly kills. Wizard - nominated by metalreviews.com this year - comes to my mind when I listen to Blood, Guts & Glory ... but honestly this one is better than Odin. At the frontier of Grim Reaper, Manowar and Helloween, this Swedish band delivers one of the best True Metal album I have heard since ages (Hammerfall debut album). In other words, Blood, Guts & Glory would have been in my 15 albums of 2003 ... if I had it in my hands in due time. Damned horse !

The overture Morphine Dreams installs the atmosphere. The production shines right away as the top-notch opener Mercenaries Of Metal hits you in the face. This song reminds me Manowar's best songs. The riffs get printed in no time and the voice of Steve sends me back to Rock You To Hell (Grim Reaper). The chorus - simple - invites you to grip a sword and kill the first a**hole saying "metal is bullshit". Fast, melodic, Manowarish !!! Wife ... where is my plastic guitar ??? The second track - Inquisition - continues the path opened by Mercenaries Of Metal. Holy shit what a chorus, what a tempo, what a riff. These guys are mad or what ! The last Manowar album sounds like Madonna compare to Blood, Guts & Glory. I am jumping on the ceiling of my room and I am about to blow away my neck as the guitar solo on Inquisition drives me mad. This is what I call melodic speed metal at its best !!! Ok danny, let's come down ... as we are only positioned on the second track.

Swords And Diamonds annihilates my very last resistances. The guitar riffs and the chorus will enter in your brain after the first spell and this time Hammerfall's debut album - Glory To The Brave - comes to my mind. Each new guitar assault wake up inside me the instinct to shout METAL as loud as my voice can afford it. And there are these solos ... these unbelievable solos flooding from everywhere, reminding me Iron Maiden's best guitar solos. HAIL METAL !!!

I will also mention Thunder & Lighting (as good as Swords And Diamonds, even though the tempo is faster, better and even crusher). I need to explode my head against the wall at this stage as the adrenaline unleashed by Blood, Guts & Glory must come out of my body one way or another. I try to take my breath again but these guys return with The Story Of The Sword. Get lost ! I am already down on my knees following the first five songs and The Story Of The Sword exterminates me. My neck is broken, my heart beats like a drum and I have already killed a dozen of non-metal fans around me with my sword !!! The rest of the album is as good as stated above : Long Live The Warriors, Triumph Of Steel, The Midas Touch, Through The Skies and Metal No1 (bonus track of the limited edition). HAIL METAL !

Do you like DreamEvil - Dragonslayer ? Do you like Hammerfall - Glory To The Brave ? Do you like Grim Reaper - Rock You To Hell ? Do you like Manowar - Battle Hymns ? Do you like Wizard - Odin ? Do you like Domine - Stormbringer Ruler ? That's fine ... because it means we are on the same frequency for the next straightaway sentence. This one is better than these records !!!

HAIL METAL !!! HAIL METAL !!! HAIL METAL !!! .... and thank you SO much Cryonic Temple for this bombastic speed/true metal attack :)

PS : I shall talk to this damned horse !!!