As proved by recent releases from the likes of Magnum, Saxon, Bruce Dickinson and Judas Priest, sometimes there’s just no substitute for a dose of the old school. And in that spirit, I bring you your next prescription: Germany’s Stormhunter…

In the simplest of terms, Stormhunter take Kai Hansen‘s early works, both with Helloween and Gamma Ray, and mould them in their own visage – with largely excellent results it has to be said. And, whilst originality is at a premium – as attested by titles like Reaper, Fallen Angel and Nightmare might attest – excitement is nowhere near as scarce.

This is prime headbanging material, nothing more, nothing less. Reaper adds a little Piratical swagger to the mix (by which of course I mean Running Wild in their prime is a key touchstone here), whilst Nightmare hits the perfect Teutonic sweetspot where speed, thrash and trad metal meet. Drummer Andreas Kiechle puts in a heroic shift on this song, driving the song forward with remorseless precision as Stefan Müller and Burkhard Ulrich dot he work of ten men with a single guitar each. It is, is a word, perfect if you are a fan of German steel.

Fallen Angel sees a necessary drop in intensity after Nightmare, but to be honest it’s a bit of a drag after the heroism we’ve just witnessed, crowd-participation-chorus notwithstanding. This is a band that convinces most at full tilt, and seven minutes of earnest balladeering proves that point well here.

Still, that’s only one song out of eleven (if you count the intro and outro pieces) and for the rest of the time Stormhunter give us all a fine lesson in the finer points of speed metal mania. It’s ten years since the band last put out a full-lengther, and I can heartily say that BB:D is well worth waiting a decade for!

Best Before: Death releases on March 21st.