Stainless Steel - Red Heat Within
Music Works
Power Metal
9 songs (47'37)
Release year: 2002
Stainless Steel
Reviewed by Crims

After a successful debut in 2000, Hungary’s Stainless Steel returned in 2002 with Red Heat Within. This release was a step in a slightly different direction for the band. The guitars are heavier, more aggressive, there are more Iced Earth influences, and the overall sound is slightly more modern sounding and less 80’s. Most of the time Red Heat Within is above average and some times it’s great but some problems remain.

The style of guitars has probably changed the most on this release. What was originally, on the debut, a highly dynamic gathering of various riff styles and tempos has now become more streamlined and straightforward. Most of the riffs are fast and remain that way for the majority of each song with slight variations in tempos as opposed to many variations as seen on the debut. Iron Maiden styled leads and riffs still figure prominently and are very successful, however, the riffs take on Iced Earth’s style of Heavy Metal as a main influence more this time it seems. The result is successful as the guitars are still the highlight of this band, because there are some very good Power Metal riffs to be found, but I do miss the epic approach from Wigant.

The vocal performance was the only glaring fault of Wigant and unfortunately that’s not really corrected on Red Heat Within. There aren’t as many gang back up vocals this time around and the limited range of the vocalist shows up more often. Vocally the CD still has its strong points. There are certain choruses and whole songs that sound really great while others are flops. Case in point: the chorus of the opener The Returner sounds excellent and has some great melodic properties while the verses to Desert Sun is more cringe inducing than anything. Dániel Jurásek's accent is less pronounced this time around though; his problem is in certain ranges with a certain type of pacing that he seems to have trouble staying in key with. Jurásek has potential and he has improved but quite honestly he’s holding back the rest of the band. The song writing and musicianship is strong enough that a consistent vocalist is a necessity. Thankfully, Stainless Steel now has a new vocalist so hopefully he can carry the band to the next level that they are capable of reaching.

I’m not sure which Stainless Steel CD I prefer. One on hand Wigant technically has more interesting song writing with a greater variety of influences but there’s something about Red Heat Within’s streamlined nature that makes each song memorable in its own way. Many of the songs on Wigant were very memorable and are still stuck in my head but Red Heat Within shows a more concise style of song writing that perhaps simpler (though not “simple” by Metal standards) has lent itself to a more memorable listen. Is it a more satisfying listen? That’s hard to say. Red Heat Within still has its fair share of surprises but the debut had a distinct style that separated Stainless Steel from the huge flock of Power Metal bands releasing CD’s these days, and this, the follow up, does not have the same amount of distinctive qualities. Though very well done in places, this release by Stainless Steel sounds more like “other” bands.

I’ve mentioned a reference to Iced Earth a couple of times and it’s definitely valid as a main influence; however, don’t think this band sounds exactly like Iced Earth. The style of vocal melodies is totally different and are much more traditional sounding… it’s just the riffs and drumming that sound like “Iron Maiden on crack” more often than not. In fact, The Lion And The Eagle sounds a lot like Dante’s Inferno in the beginning. Regardless it’s a solid song and is available on the bands website for download. Other song highlights include Lady At The Rocks and The Wicked Game which have a strong Power Ballad type feel to them, even though the music is technically still fast. The lyrical topic and style of singing make the songs take on a whole different mentality and it’s moments like these that I hope will remain in Stainless Steel’s song writing for many more releases. This CD is still recommended to Power Metal fans that enjoy the guitar oriented side of the genre as opposed to the keyboard-ridden side. Unfortunately, because a more conventional sound and style is used there are more bands to compare Stainless Steel to and the overall effect of the band is lessened. With that being said, Red Heat Within will receive many return listens as the catchiness and strong riffs on the majority of tracks on this release are still undeniable.

Killing Songs :
The Returner, Labyrinth, Lady At The Rocks, The Wicked Game, The Lion And The Eagle, The Longer Way
Crims quoted 75 / 100
Other albums by Stainless Steel that we have reviewed:
Stainless Steel - Wigant reviewed by Crims and quoted 80 / 100
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