Sign Of The Jackal-The Beyond (Limited Edition EP)

EP, Heavy Artillery
2011
CD format limited to 2000 copies.
Vinyl format limited to 500 copies.

Vinyl pressing info:
300 on black vinyl.
Limited deluxe vinyl version is numbered of 100 copies on purple vinyl and 100
copies on orange vinyl and includes a bonus SOTJ heavy duty rubber beer
coaster.

06. Warlord's Wrath (Bonus vinyl-only track)

What do you get when you add two of my favorite things- Italian horror films from the likes of Lucio Fulci, Mario Bava and Dario Argento and heavy metal along the lines of Accept,Iron Maiden and Judas Priest? Well folks you get the Italian heavy metal act Sign Of The Jackal.Sign of the Jackal was formed in the winter of 2007 when four friends who shared a passion for classic heavy metal and horror films came together to form a band. Influenced by eighties heavy metal groups Warlock, Black Knight, Taste of Iron, Black Lace, Judas Priest and Lizzy Borden, the core of the band was formed with Roberto "Bob" Condini on rhythm/lead guitar, Sergio Mate on drums, Kill (Federico Sala) on bass and Laura Coller on lead vocals. The band would spend their first year covering rare b-sides and obscure album tracks by some of their favorite bands and building up a local following. Rhythm guitarist Max was added to complete the line-up in April 2008. With a solid line-up in place the band began writing and rehearsing original music which incorporated their interest in old school horror films with the sounds of 80’s underground European and American heavy metal. Having already released a 2008 demo and 2010's Haunted House Tapes EP the group have put out The Beyond to tide fan's over until they hit the studio for a full length release in late 2011. With groups like Cauldron and Enforcer having already set the bar pretty high in regards to the NWOTHM movement one would expect that such a young band like SOTJ couldn't possibly hold their own. You couldn't be more wrong. "Hellhounds" is the power of Warlock mixed with the aggression of Painkiller era Judas Priest. "Head Over Heels" has enough 1980's edge that you'd swear this could be Acid or Ice Age . "Heavy Metal Demons" is cheesy in an Exciter kind of way but honestly Laura Coller pulls you in with her wicked charm. "Paganini Horror" morphs between an eighties rocker and a fist in the air metal number. "Night Of The Undead" steals a line from one of my all time favorite zombie flicks and is one of those hard rock numbers you could have heard on a eighties horror soundtrack. It rocks along and I could honestly have seen SOTJ as a club band in The Howling or some other eighties horror film. No doubt this is a fun little nod to metal's heyday. I liked it though and the band kicks things out in such a way that while it might sound dated it also sounds like a breath of fresh air. In a world of Korn what's wrong with having a band that lovingly rocks out old school? I'll take these type of bands any day over the countless metalcore and black metal bands that all sound alike! Fact is there will always be a place for leather and chains heavy metal in our world. It's good to see a place like Italy has provided us with the next generation of traditional metal. Fans of eighties acts Acid, Dark Wizard and Gotham City should take note of SOTJ as well as fans of White Wizard, Cauldron and Enforcer.