Legendary metal band Kiss released their least-successful album ever, Music from the Elder, in 1981, around the same time Iron Maiden had dumped their first singer for Bruce Dickinson. Lots of stupid music from both bands resulted during that time, but some of it was really righteous (“I” from Kiss, “Hallowed Be Thy Name” from Maiden, if you really want examples), and that’s where these Pennsylvania old-schoolers come in, adding just enough party-metal to their NWOBHM same-same platitudes (there are as many bands on Priest/Maiden trips — especially in the colder countries of Europe — as pretty much any other genre). Singer Christopher Shaner is a cross between Paul Stanley and the dude from Bury Your Dead, no muss, no fuss, nothing blindingly original, but he’s got a lot of great riffing to pump himself up to here, and he responds with some nice efforts at epic bellowing. As always, a few tech/dub/ethnic trip-outs would help immensely, but guys like this do get stubborn about their dispensability. B — Eric W. Saeger