In a day and age where you can earn a Master's degree in the Beatles, then why not a similar study of a genre, for instance the New Wave of British Heavy Metal - it gave us seminal, important bands like Iron Maiden, Saxon and Diamond Head and changed metal music. One possible dissertation would be to argue how a sound ages, and to prove the point, set up a band to echo the aforementioned bands.

In this could-be reality, Hekz would get a first, such is their dedication to the NWOBHM sound. Matt Young's operatic vocals do a sharp Bruce Dickenson impression, and the riffs are pure, classic and of the head banging variety and then those Iron Maiden-esq dual guitar harmonies. And when was the last time you heard a constructed guitar solo in metal, opposed to fitting as many notes in as quick as humanly possible; solos that harmonised with the backing music, complementing the song rather than just played over it?

In so many ways, this is glorious, something just to revel in: a homage, a tribute to pre-cock rock heavy metal, done with surprising conviction and maturity in the writing, yet with enough tongue-in-cheek in the delivery, and never afraid to be embrace cheesy, silly lyrics that suits the music so well: "When you're trying your best to break out, don't you see what it's really about". Blinding.

Rating: 4/5 by Sam Page

Tracklisting

1. When Darkness Falls
2. Breakout
3. Dead Of Night
4. Don't Turn Back

Further links

Hekz on MySpace

Myspace of hilarious Iron Maiden-alikes Hekz