WINGS OF STEEL – Gates of Twilight (2023)
Hailing from Los Angeles, WINGS OF STEEL is a young band formed by vocalist Leo Unnermark and guitarist Parker Halub in 2019. After a debut EP and playing the LA circuit like Whisky-A-Go-Go, Viper Room, etc, the band recorded this full debut CD “Gates of Twilight.”
The style is US melodic metal close to Crimson Glory, Fifth Angel, even DIO, thanks to the killer strong vocals by Unnermark. Songs like the opening track Liar In Love or the first single Cry Of the Damned are built upon memorable riffs, power chords and fantastic solos by Halub, who also plays the bass parts.
There is one specific influence in Wings Of Steel’s music, which distinguishes this band in the overcrowded scene – the hard rock bluesy touches. Garden Of Eden, Leather And Lace or Into The Sun show real diversity in the guitar parts and vocal lines, which even brings Led Zeppelin or Scorpions to mind, while the power ballads She Cries (the harmony guitars at 3:20 nearly made me cry with joy) and Slave Of Sorrows even made me think of Steelheart.
Fall In Line and the title track are probably the heaviest and most epic tracks, and that is where the Crimson Glory influence manifests itself most. The vocals here are outstanding and there’s a wide variety of songs across the album in different tempos and displaying a range of skills that the musicians possess.
Nothing new of course, but that’s expected with a straight heavy metal band, hence why the genre has expanded so much over time for creative reasons.
This is a band and an album that we strongly recommend and for sure the name Wings Of Steel will be mentioned often from now on.
It’s a mystery why this fantastic release is not backed by a strong label, because these guys know what they’re doing and they deserve it. It becomes more and more difficult to show individuality in a genre with so many classic and beloved albums, but ”Gates Of Twilight” is pure class.
Highly Recommended
01 – Liar in Love
02 – Fall in Line
03 – Garden of Eden
04 – Cry of the Damned
05 – She Cries
06 – Lady of the Lost
07 – Leather and Lace
08 – Slave of Sorrows
09 – Gates of Twilight
10 – Into the Sun
Vocals – Leo Unnermark
Guitars & Bass – Parker Halub
Drums – Mike Mayhem
BUY
amazon.com/Gates-Twilight-Wings-Steel/dp/B0C5T36QSR
