Band: Soul Stealer
Title: Feel The Steal
Label: Ledo Takas Records
Distribution: Ledo Takas Records
Release date: July 9th 2010
Review: CD

Soul Stealer are a Lithuanian four-piece, formed in capital Vilnius in 2003, debuting in 2008 with a self-called full length debut (via their current label Ledo Takas Records, also from Lithuania). The formation consists of experienced members, (formerly) active in bands as Crossroad, Fata Morgana or Obtest. Singer Jeronimas Milius is also known as vocalist in different Classic and Opera arrangements, as well as for his appearance on the 2008-edition of Euro-f*ckin’songstuffvisionthings.
For this second studio album (45:14), the band entered the well-known Latvian Phoenix Studio with producer Gints Lundbergs (Dissimulation, Urskumug, Luctus, Frailty, Obtest etc).
The band’s varying Heavy Metal has its foundations in the traditional school, closely related to the Epic Power-scene, yet not that cliché-influenced. The energetic and strongly pushing songs are rhythmic, rather fast and speed-up (not necessarily fast) and contain different tempo-changes and twists. It makes your head bang spontaneously, it brings you back to the majesty of the eighties. Unfortunately it isn’t as convincing whole the time, and more than once it sounds too outmoded, too dated. But on the other hand, a very positive element is this: Soul Stealer found a nice equilibrium between tradition & progression (listen to a catchy tech-thrasher as The Choice). And yes, the members’ experience and professionalism within the Metal scene specifically, and the music scene in general, are manifest.

75/100

Ivan Tibos.