In the modern world of metal, where there are more sub-genres than ever, it can be refreshing to hear the classic sound of heavy metal again. Of course, there are younger bands flying the flag, but it's always fun to find out what the veterans are up to. Enter Impellitteri, the eponymous band of guitarist Chris Impellitteri, who formed in 1986 and released their debut album, "Stand In Line" two years later. Ever since then, the band has continued to perform their brand of high energy heavy metal, and now, six years since their previous full length, "The Nature Of The Beast" and joined by Paul Bostaph on drums, Impellitteri are prepared to unleash their own, "War Machine."

Right off the bat, Impellitteri demonstrates plenty of range with the title track. It elevates quite quickly, setting the scene for vocalist Rob Rock to make his entrance. Chris Impellitteri's guitar work is, as expected, very impressive, particularly when it comes to the guitar solo, a prominent feature throughout the album and each one works very well. The title track is good, but the album shifts into higher gear with "Out Of My Mind (Heavy Metal)," a great anthem celebrating the music we all love and the good times it can bring. It's fast and exciting, reminiscent in some ways of Rob Halford's solo output, and even includes an industrial rhythm to make it a varied and fun song.

"War Machine" isn't short on highlights, with "Power Grab" perhaps being the strongest. It's fierce but a lot of fun, with plenty of shredding ready to melt the brains of listeners. The same could be said of "Wrathchild," another of the advance singles which boasts an absolutely storming performance from Paul Bostaph and a turbo charged tempo. Meanwhile, "Hell On Earth" channels a thrash metal influence to give the record an extra kick, before "Light It Up" takes on something of a Krokus sound and gives future live audiences a great opportunity to sing along. The album as a whole showcases plenty of speed, stopping just short of parking in speed metal territory.

There's a lot to like about "War Machine," a lot more positives than negatives in fact, but it's not perfect. I'm not sure if it was just the copy I had, but the production did seem very quiet, forcing the volume way up to get a better understanding of the vibe Impellitteri are going for. It also had the increasingly familiar problem in that while there are no bad songs, several don't match up preceding or succeeding tracks. For example, "Superkingdom" is pretty good with an important message, but sandwiched between "Out Of My Mind" and "Wrathchild," it feels a little lacklustre. "Beware The Hunter" is fun, but also suffers from unfortunate placing in the tracklist, and isn't helped by an off-putting vocal melody in the chorus.

Since 1986, Impellitteri has forged a very respectable legacy for themselves and they can be proud of their latest addition to their impressive catalogue. "War Machine" may very well be their best album since "System X" and offers so much to enjoy for fans and newcomers alike. If you miss the days of powerful metal with plenty of hooks and guitar heroes, you'll want to seek this album out right away. It may not be as vicious as many metal fans would like, but it's not short on attitude and packs plenty of punches to get heads banging and fists raising. A mighty impressive return after a six year wait for new music.