There's a band photo of this Portuguese trio. One of the members is wearing a Poison Idea t-shirt. Time was when metal and punk stay far from each other, even when bands like Poison Idea and Earth Crisis blurred that line almost into oblivion. Black Flare advertises itself as a metal band, but these boys share a lot with 80s and 90s hardcore as well.

Black Flare Black Flare (Firecum Records)

The song "By My Sword" certainly follows metal lyrical conventions. But the intro riff sounds like Jawbox. Yes, the song then moves into some nicely sludgy Maiden-esque territory, but there's always an undercurrent of punk as well.

While most view the New Wave of British Heavy Metal as bringing technical and propulsive elements to the sound, we shouldn't forget the punk influence. The Paul Di'Anno Maiden albums (the ones most associated with NWOBHM) sound like punk prog with a blues chaser. Black Flare integrates hardcore sensibilities into a classic metal sound as well as anyone.

This is a serious throwback, though judging by the band photo I'd say these guys have been playing since this sound was a lot more prevalent. If you're aching for some epic churn, Black Flare has your light.

Jon Worley