Artist:  Poison Sun
   Title: Virtual Sin
   Label: Metal Heaven
 

In a male dominated genre Heavy Metal needs more female fronted bands and the Germans have the answer to my prayers with new band Poison Sun.  A band fronted by Martina Frank who is joined by husband Hermann Frank of Accept fame, Florian Schőnweitz and Stefan Hammer, for their debut album 'Virtual Sin'.  A real dose of old school heavy metal. 

In Martina they have found a real dynamite front woman who has a mighty pair of lungs on her and who can wail like a demon. 

The album gets underway in emphatic style with ‘Voodoo’ and from here on in there is no turning back.  A huge guitar presence as you would expect from Hermann is laced with big old school licks, while the big ballsy rhythm section is the foundation of the bands sound, but it's Martina’s vocals that are the highlight of both the track and the entire album as she comes across as a ballsy Patti Smith.

This superb Heavy Metal release continues with the groove filled rocker ‘Red Necks’, again Hermann delivers the punchy licks while Martina powers through with another massive massive vocal presence. The chunky licks come thick and fast on the no nonsense rock n' roll of ‘Hitman’.  This one has that Krokus/Airbourne feel to it.

The album picks up the pace as Hermann fires out some real big guitars on the full on metal assault of ‘Rider In The Storm’, a real headbangers delight.  If Rainbow did metal then this is what Joe Lynn Turner would sound like.

Things slow down just a touch with the balls to the wall rocker ‘Killer’, before it's all guns blazing once more with one of my favourite tracks off the album the excellent title track ‘Virtual Sin’.  This is what I was brought up on great licks, big vocals rock n' roll, I just love this song.  This is old school with a big modern metal sound.

There is an energy about this album that I haven’t felt in a Heavy Metal album for such a long time and it continues to impress with ‘Princess’ which has that Doro anthemic feel, which for a big fan of Doro to admit must count for something.

There is no time to catch your breath with this album as the licks come thick and fast again in that Krokus/Airbourne style with ‘Phobia’.  The album comes to a close with two superb slices of new metal first up it’s the fantastic cover of ‘Excited’, which is just unbelievably good.  Martina gives this one more edge that a box of razor blades and Hermann just makes the guitar scream with some of the best chops on the album.  The album could have closed there but there is one more for you listening delight and it’s the massive and I mean massive ‘Forever’.  A real tour de force to end what has to be one of best debut metal albums of the year.

Tracklisting:

1. Voodoo
2. Rednecks
3. Hitman
4. Rider In The Storm
5. Killer
6. Virtual Sin
7. Princess
8. Phobia
9. Excited
10. Forever

                  

 

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