Signs of the Jackal and a Future

In recent years, another trend in metal is slowly rising- the revival of traditional Heavy Metal. Bands from all over the world are popping up with that old school sound, combined with the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. Sign of the Jackal is one of these bands that has influences of Saxon, ’70s Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Helloween and a little bit of Accept thrown in for good measure. They recently released their EP “The Beyond” via Heavy Artilley Records and it is turning some heads.

The EP features five sweet tracks that take you back to the early days of metal when it was first spreading its demonic wings. Kicking off with the anthem “Hellhounds,” the Italian stallions have you throwing up the horns from the get-go. The solo section is very bright and full of great harmony and a thumping rhythm section. Laura’s vocals are very strong, making this a great opener.

The next song “Head Over Heels,” sounds like an early Judas Priest song. You can picture Rob Halford grooving along to this in his bunny slippers on a rainy day.

“Heavy Metal Demons” is another speedy number that pulls you back in time again. A great vocal presence again and more impressive guitar work. The drums have great timing and will keep you fixated on banging your head to the beat. The bass playing is also very tight with the drums and thumps along quite nicely in this tune.

“Paganini Horror” is just that as it is a rockin’ tune that makes good use of the famous scale. A chilling intro that puts you into the makings of a cool tune that reminds metal heads of Iron Maidens “Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter.”

The EP closes with “Night of the Undead.” Another great song with a fantastic Judas Priest touch. Laura’s vocals deliver hard and heavy once again with a dab of Lita Ford being shown here. This one has a great chorus that everyone can sing along to. Destined to be a live classic.

Sign of the Jackal is an excellent new band from Italy that is worth checking out. Their roots are planted firmly in Heavy Metal and if they continue to deliver there’s no telling where they can go. Sign of the Jackal shows great promise and can really make waves if they set their sights on it.