I have been asked by the great people at Sentinel Daily to give some thoughts, words and insights into the immortal Ross the Boss, and specifically his new best of album, Legacy of Blood Fire and Steel. The name “Ross the Boss” is synonymous with one thing.. Loud heavy metal. Unrelenting, true to the heart music that always verges on the edge of total, genius insanity..

Anyone with a memory knows of Manowar. The band, that when you look very carefully, forged an entire genre of epic metal with a lineup of six albums starting with 1982’s Battle Hymns and ending with Kings of Metal in 1988. While the band continued on in name only, the true believer know these albums held an ingredient never replicated, in the writer and guitarist Ross the Boss.

My history with Manowar and Ross starts as a fan at fifteen years of age, hearing the band’s thir album, Hail to England. To this day, nothing stands higher in my number one of top ten metal album list. The history continues back ten years when I formed the power metal band Death Dealer with singer Sean Peck and Ross the Boss. Working alongside Ross has been a true privilege and stands as one of my proudest musical achievements; we have become close friends over many tours.

The road stories are endless: suffice to say that Ross is a true one off, someone who deeply cares about his fans and bandmates. He’s a real Rock n’Roll soldier who’s there for the music first and foremost. Night after night, a consummate professional who never loses his cool.

So now, onto the legacy and a review of the album.

The Ross the Boss Band has carved out a solid number of releases since its inception in 2008 with the album New Metal Leader and tracks Blood of Knives, We Will Kill and I Got The Right. These songs signalled a new age for Ross, regaining his metal voice as a writer and personally, I think the band sounded great. I always felt the singer (Patrick Fuchs) had a strong euro accent which for me put me off, but technically he was very good. Blood of Knives opens with a classic RTB riff and the solos of course cut through in the only way Ross plays – with pure, vicious intent.

The second release Hailstorm brought us such gems as the title track, Kingdom Arise and Great Gods Glorious. Again, great songs, very anthemic and which prove again Ross had music in the tank for a strong second release.

The third release is where Ross really took things up a level with singer Marc Lopes joining the band. With a distinct power similar to Manowar’s Eric Adams, Lopes brings the sound and power we craved, with Ross again proving he’s a force to be reckoned with by the songs By Blood Sworn, This is Vengeance and We are the Night – you want power?.. you’ll get it here. Classic Ross riffage and searing, passionate leads.

Rounding out the “Legacy” is the fourth album, Born of Fire. This release stands, to my mind, above as the best produced and most complete album the band has produced so far – Full disclosure however, I wrote the song Maiden of Shadows for Ross on this album with all lyrics and melodies by Marc Lopes!

Born of Fire and Denied by the Cross end the best of album with a fierce blaze of power, where some releases lag at the end.. Ross does the opposite and unleashes hell right to the very end.

You’ll never find another Ross the Boss, he’s unique and delivers an unwavering and powerful force in heavy metal. This release is a “must have” in any discerning metal heads collection.

A Legacy Of Blood, Fire & Steel releases on April 28th.