5

Not more than a minute into this album, my first reaction was "Oh no, they went and screwed with the production. . .the poor man's Pantera is about to be unleashed!" Thankfully that didn't happen, but we'll get to that shortly. The sophomore effort from the band who just two years earlier recreated the famed NWOBHM sound originally made famous from their protégé's Iron Maiden, as well as landing some big time gigs under the wing of Steve Harris in christening his Beast Records label, shows no signs of complacency. "Real World" does not follow an atypically "mature" course in "Dirty Deeds'" second go-round. we find the hunger and intensity level in fine form, as they attack with booming ferocity, having already "infected" countless numbers of fans throughout the rest of the world. The difference in production is noticeable this time however.

Opting for newcomer Doug Hall behind the board, "raw" could be one way to put it, but doesn't necessarily serve to compliment the band's already established style. A band like "Dirty Deeds" isn't going to fool anyone and the fuller/broader sound that roared forth on "Danger Of Infection" outweighs the hollowness that comes across here. The lack of melody in some areas interrupts the flow of the music this time around, robbing much of the character and leaving an expressionless face as a stand-in, but doubling up the rock in most cases with an overdriven jam session.

The band was simply firing on all cylinders with their masterful debut, one that really hit hard and often in stunning a desperate audience long since withdrawn from the desirable memories of yesterday's "Only One Way To Rock" groove! We're talking subtle differences here at best, but it's to their credit that an unproven rookie for a musical act could put it all together on their first try.

Getting to the point with finger-poking firmness, "Real World" opens the door to a room cluttered with junk and recklessness and guides you to the open window where escapism is only a leap and power chord away!