Kev Rowland When I saw the name of the band my immediate impression was that there was going probably be a Death Metal act, so when I put it on I was somewhat surprised to find that here was a very melodic and powerful NWOBHM band. A bit more research and I discovered that these guys were originally formed in 1980, with this line-up getting together in 1982, but by 1983 it was all over. Then in 2010 the guys were approached by Pure Steel Records and asked if it would be possible to release the demo’s that had been recorded as an album (released in ‘In The Beginning’). One thing led to another and the guys started playing together again, and the result is this their debut album. Now, having not heard their earlier recordings I don’t know if this reflects what they were doing then, but in many ways these guys were way more melodic than what was prevalent in the scene at the time. There is the pomp and presence of Magnum and Styx (no keyboards), twin guitars (more Wishbone Ash and Thin Lizzy than Iron Maiden), some stunning vocals (seriously – I really like Simon Saxby’s voice), and wonderful songs, which really makes me wonder what would have happened if these guys had got the breaks.

This is melodic hard rock that I have enjoyed more and more each time I have played it, and I can only hope that these guys now stick at it as I want to hear some more. Lots more! They have an interesting site, so why not investigate them – this is good stuff indeed. www.salemband.co.uk

Time Signature Unsung heroes

Genre: traditional heavy metal

Salem is one of te most important metal bands in the histor of the genre - yet, they only released their first album "Forgotten Dreams" in 2013.

How can they be so important? Well, they were part of the NWoBHM movement of the late 70s and eary 80s, which influenced future generations of metal msicians fundamentally. Most NWoBHM bands, with Iron Maiden, Saxon and a handful of other artists as the exception, disappeared into obscurity. This happened to Salem, too despite the fact that they were capable musicians and released a string of prett good demos. In 2010, these were collected and released in the form of the compilation "In the Beginning...", marking the reforming of the band, and two EPs followed before the release of their debut album.

"Forgotten Dreams" offers very good traditional heavy metal with a strong sense of melody. Not surprisingly, the album is full of elements associated with the NWoBHM era, such as twin guitars and a slight retrospective view to the 70s. Several songs on the album combine traditional metal aesthetics with a moody and melancholic feel which resonates with something primeval in the listener, as is the case of 'The Answer', with its brooding guitar melodies, and 'Kazakafnu' as well as the ballady 'This Heart Is Mine'. Other tracks are uptempo as in the case of 'Reach to Eternity', which should appeal to fans of Rainbow's 'Kill the King'. Other notable tracks are 'X-Rated', 'Ask the Lonely', the title track, and 'When Love Is in your Heart'. The choruses are generally melodic - some even having a slight AOR quality - and thus memorable and easy to sing along to.

I, for one, really appreciate how NWoBHM bands like Salem reform and start releasing albums. They deserve being celebrated by the scene they helped create. And, it does not make things wors that an album like "Forgotten Dreams" is actually very good.