Reviewed by James Weaver

Ohio hard rockers Weapons Of God are the brainchild of guitarist Steve McGowan, who took years working on songs with band members coming and leaving before this, their debut, came together. Self-described as "positive metal," the finest quality about this album is that it is incredibly uplifting throughout its 10-track romp. Opener "Are You Ready?" sets an immediate precedent as the trash-tinged riffing from Leon Black and McGowan dominate proceedings, with the former impressing with his operatic vocal deliveries. Similarly, "Call Your Name" maintains the good vibes as the token NWOBHM-esque approach to the riffs keeps a steady mid-tempo beat and the colossal runtime of "Ghost" allows the track to develop organically from a slow build to a finale that is utterly emphatic; making it the highlight song on the entire album. Unfortunately, 'Weapons Of God' is not without its shortcomings. "Glory And The Power", save for some neat lead-play, is a forgettable track and boasts some extremely clichéd lyrics, while "Anger" and the title track might easily be the heaviest songs on the album - both boasting crunching riffs with McGowan adopting Pantera's Philip H Anselmo approach in the vocal - but their placement after the plodding mess of "Saving Grace" disrupts the overall flow of the album. I would suggest that Weapons Of God are now at a crossroads. Do they develop into an old school metal band or continue with radio-friendly hard rock? Hopefully the future direction will become clear. In the meantime, the best cuts here are well worth listening to.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.