Those who don’t understand heavy metal might think that melody and forcefulness automatically cancel each other out, but for a lot of headbangers, that’s hardly the case. Metal acts ranging from Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and King Diamond to Black Sabbath, Candlemass, and Ronnie James Dio have made it clear that rich melodies and brute force can be a powerful combination. Burning Time points to the fact that, like those artists, Last Crack are metal musicians who really knows how to combine naked aggression with a love of melody. Last Crack’s music is quite risk-taking — though this ambitious CD brings to mind Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Queensrÿche, there are times when Burning Time also makes one think of U2. Obviously, U2 is far from being a metal band, but Buddo’s lead vocals do have a Bono quality, and some of Last Crack’s melodies share similarities — if U2′s “Bullet the Blue Sky” was turned into a metal song, it might come out sounding something like “Down Beat Dirt Messiah” or “Energy Mind.” Regrettably, Last Crack’s risk-taking spirit didn’t translate into commercial success, but Burning Time is highly recommended to those who are seeking something fresh and interesting from metal. – Alex Henderson