Metalcatto
It’s been a week full of emotionally draining releases, so I thought: fine, I’ll give something more uplifting a chance for once. Sacred Leather couldn’t have a name more Judas Priest-inspired. The album is even named Keep The Fire Burning — like there’s no way this music isn’t going to take me to a happy place, you know, where ice cream is free and taxes aren’t a necessary evil. Anyway, what should you expect from this Heavy Metal adventure?
Fun riffs! That’s what Fire has for you. Lots of them. Catchy, colorful tracks that remind you of the simpler times of this genre, when nobody had to play a diminished fifth at a 9/7 tempo to impress anyone. I could compare it to classics like Manowar or Savatage, but if you want a more contemporary band that sounds similar, check out Jet Jaguar. They both dive into that optimistic yet sharp approach to Heavy Metal that manages to stay engaging without becoming a total cornfest. My dark soul appreciates that sometimes.
An old-school album like this lives and dies by its guitar work, and fortunately, Sacred Leather can write wild and entertaining guitar solos that remind you this art form should make a comeback in the most extreme corners of our Metal world. The vocals are as epic as you’d expect, and everyone else is holding the line pretty well. The band is clearly a whole greater than the sum of its parts, but that doesn’t mean there’s no individual talent, of course! Enough praising — let’s return to the bleak reality.
So, Fire is exactly what you’d expect. You’ve been here before, and if you’re old enough to need a hip replacement (don’t mock, most of you will get there soon!), then you’ve heard it all before. I believe Sacred Leather is aware that we’re all going to compare this work with the classics of the genre, and that its ambition is realistic. But I’m just here to warn you that the album doesn’t reinvent the wheel — it sticks to the old ways many of you love or hate.
Having said all that, Fire gave me the break I needed from the incessant and endless pile of depressing stuff you and promoters send me every day. Sometimes we all need a little fun and edge, and Sacred Leather does that well. On a side note, why do I get so many promos from Indianapolis? What’s going on in “The Crossroads of America”? Should we open an office there or what? Let me know!!
Label: King Volume Records / Wise Blood Records
Release date: December 12, 2025
Website: https://sacredleather.bandcamp.com/album/keep-the-fire-burning
Country: USA
Score: 3.3/5.0
Metal Eclipse Reviews 