Vendetta were formed last year when guitarist/vocalist Edward Box decided that he wanted more people to hear his talents as he was previously best known for his guitar instrumental albums for Lion Music. Being a man of taste he decided to return to his metal roots in order to accomplish his mission. Lion’s press release name drops Tipton and Downing as reference points and in particular the guitar sound on this CD is excellent. In a soon to be uploaded interview with our own Al Hay, Edward Box suggests that this is because, “We are terrible for blagging gear but it is essential to blend different tones and sounds!”  

One thing I like about Lion Music is that they seem not just to appreciate one genre even though they are possibly known for their instrumental albums. In fact they seem to have a knack of finding excellent musicians who write and play excellent songs (witness Book of Reflections, Mind’s Eye and From Behind to name but a few) and now we can add Vendetta to the list. 

Everywhere one looks there is something to enjoy on this record, whether it be the epic Window of the Soul which closes things or the opening instrumental Archangel which unusually for me I’ve played every time I’ve listened to the CD as the twin guitar sound is so good. I Executioner is unfeasibly heavy gut like many of the songs herein has an annoyingly catchy hook that one can’t shake off. 

Generation Kill, would, I am sure have made Vendetta household names (at least in metal circles) twenty or thirty years ago as would No Safe Hole which is perhaps the most straight forward traditional metal track on offer. In his chat with HardRockHouse Box says, “For too long now we have all been trying to keep abreast of trends so it was a case of fuck it. Let’s be a bunch of old bastards!” By that he clearly means that it’s time to make an honest record rather than chase whatever the kids are into this week and good luck to him! 

At the risk of bleating on, I don’t see why there is no room on the radio these days for traditional metal (or any metal at all come to think of it) so you’re going to have to take our word for it- -buy this, support British metal or forever live in a Sean Paul world.