Based out of Vienna, Austria, Pastor has bestowed their final release Unveil. Six originals plus one cover of riff-heavy, galloping songs make a nice blend of very early Rush, Thin Lizzy, and Black Sabbath, Pastor do not try to hide their influences. A tight rhythm lays the ground work for interesting shredding and solos galore. This is certainly a throw-back to the 1970s. Vocals sound very similar to the Mike Dean era of Corrosion of Conformity. Highlights include “City of Sleep” and the title track each which include sweet, melodic introductions before the full on riffing takes over. They even cover “Slave of Fear” by psychedelic/doom/heavy metal band, Stone Axe, from Houston, Texas who were active between 1971 and 1972 and released one single. If you keep any of the bands mentioned above on rotation, this is an easy recommendation. For everyone else, give it a listen as throw-backs done this well with talented, tight musicianship deserve a wider audience.
