Artist: Ross The Boss  
   Title: New Metal Leader
   Label: AFM Records

In 1982 the world of Heavy Metal was shaken to its very foundations when the barbarian New Yorkers Manowar released their debut album 'Battle Hymns' and set about the quest for TRUE METAL as they put it.

The co-founder of the band, along with bassist Joey De Maio, was Ross ‘The Boss’ Funicello, together they took on the world and welcomed a legion of fans that shared the bands passion for Heavy Metal.

But in 1988 Funicello left the band to reform his former band The Dictators, although he has always been associated with the all-conquering Manowar.  Now in 2008 The Boss is back with a new band under his name and a new album that takes the principles laid down with Manowar and brings them kicking a screaming into the present.

After some ten years in waiting The Boss along with Patrick Fuchs on vocals, Carsten Kettering on bass and Matthias Mayer on drums, are going to the shake the very foundations with their new album ‘New Metal Leader’, an album that some will regard as the true new Manowar album.

The album gets underway with the intro ‘I.L.H.' before things really begin to get going with ‘Blood Of Knives’.  A great introduction to the band as the Ross goes straight for the jugular from the off, with some quite electric riff building and Fuchs unleashing his metal vocals with some force, the true meaning on Heavy Metal has come full circle.

The thunderous metal prevails with the excellent ‘I Got The Right’ and the anthemic powerhouse that is ‘Death And Glory’, an all guns blazing assault on the senses with Ross stampeding through with some fiery licks and Fuchs showing his true metal vocal credentials on this one.

‘Plaque Of Lies’ is another awesome slice of true blue Heavy Metal as Funicello gets things underway in style with Fuchs not far behind him, with the towering rhythms of Kettering and Mayer keeping it all together.

This album isn’t a blast from the past album, this is a new glorious salute to the heavy that we all love and this is shown in great throngs with the likes of ‘Plaque Of Lies’, another guitar-fest with Fuchs showing a little of what his vocals power are capable of as he out screams the mighty Halford on this one.

Ross brings a certain something to the album with an old school guitar sound that will never cease to bring out the metal hoards, although he can also can bring it down a notch or two as we find out on ‘God Of Dying’.  This one builds from a gentle start into a flurry of big riffs and booming rhythms, a true metal monster.

The band weren’t afraid to experiment on this album with this modern rocker ‘May The Gods Be Will You’, a real surprise package this one and one of my favourite tracks off the album as Ross once again shines.

Still keeping with the more modern soundings is ‘Constantine’s Sword’, an anthemic rocker that has one of the biggest guitar fuelled endings of any track on the album, then it's back to the true metal sound with the bass enthused ‘We Will Kill’.  This song is so battle metal you can almost hear the axes and sword clashing.

‘Matador’ is another great metal hymn with Fuchs raising his game again with some mighty high notes that will simply blow the eardrums of a mere mortal, but metal fans are made of stronger stuff and play their music on 10 and above, also be sure to check out the storming Spanish guitar at the end.  

The album closes with ‘Immortal Son’, again it starts from humble beginnings with Fuchs and a semi acoustic Ross leading the way for the titanic assault that follows.  A swaying guitar ridden classic that rounds off a welcome return of the 'New Metal Leader', Ross The Boss to the metal scene. 

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