The Lord Weird Slough Feg

As if the latest from Dawnbringer wasn't a perfect enough slab of full-on heavy metal, Canuck buzz label Profound Lore has unleashed the latest from weirdo heavy metal group the Lord Weird Slough Feg. On this album ― heck, on the first three songs ― the band show how to craft a concise NWOBHM anthem (opener "Trick the Vicar," which clocks in at 1:55), Iron Maiden worship that sounds tasteful ("The 95 Thesis"), something Maiden rarely pull off these days, and pure Thin Lizzy '70s flashbacks (album highlight/instrumental "Materia Prima"). The whole disc, with its warm production and love for the simple, harkens back to '70s proto-metal in many ways. Slough Feg have numerous personalities and they've left their love for the folky and prog-y elsewhere for this outing, with spectacular results. You can't fake this kind of love for metal, because the only rewards that come with it are releases on various small labels, respect from the great unwashed and a healthy scattering of people impressed that Lizzy-esque dual melodies can be combined with heavier metal without sounding stupid. It isn't much, but I'm sure for the nuts in Slough Feg, who have been doing this for 20 years, it's enough.