When I first heard that Krokus vocalist Marc Storace was going to be teaming up with Joe Floyd and crew for a new Warrior disc I had my fair share of doubt. Mentally, I couldn’t picture the crooning, whining voice of Storace melding with Floyd’s tuned down riff heavy, metal hooks. In case you haven’t been following the Warrior camp recently, they still maintain some of their traditional metal sound from the 80s, as witnessed from their plentiful riffs and choruses, but they’ve since updated their sound to be more modern with heavier, tuned-down guitars. I’m happy to report that the result of this new chocolate and peanut butter mixture turned out quite fine. Marc Storace has lost none of the power in his voice as he’s able to belt out some solid screams and verses with a more than adequate vocal range, giving each song its own distinct flavor. That’s a good thing too because the modernized style of the band has a tendency to make the music sound the same after a while. That’s not to say that the band doesn’t come up with some great hooks and riffs because they definitely do, and it’s these elements that really push this release into the "purchase-worthy" category. With the exception of a couple of songs that just don’t work because of their mellow, moody or alternative style ("Mars" and "Love Above All"), the remainder of the tracks are good, meaty heavy metal songs that get more infectious with each ensuing listen. Highlights of the disc include the traditional 80s sounding "Do It Now," the raw, chunky riffing on "Never Live Your Life Again," as well as the title track. For once, I’m quite pleased with this marriage of traditional rockers played in a slightly modern style. Needless to say, if you found Warrior’s last release with Rob Rock on vocals enjoyable, then this disc is a must have because musically the band is even stronger this time around.

The Bottom Line: Fans of the traditional Krokus sound may have an adjustment period before they will accept this cd, but long-time metalheads who like their music heavy with a touch of melody will find this effort quite pleasing.