On their second album, Running Wild has lost the satanic images that dominated the debut, but have yet to hit upon the theme that would become their trademark: stay tuned. The lyrics on this release fall more within the domain of Iron Maiden, while the sound drifts a bit from the Priest-like stylings of 'Gates to Purgatory' toward the Euro speed metal sound the band is best known for. The vocal mix is almost as bad as on the debut release, with the singing lost in the background on several tracks. Rolf Kasparek sticks in the lower ranges for the most part, but still lets loose with an occasional Halford scream. This certainly isn't a bad album, but the sound hasn't quite come together yet, making this probably the weakest Running Wild album.
The title track, "Gods of Iron," "Fight the Oppression," and "Mordor" are all relatively standard speedy fare, while "Realm of Shades" is a bit more intricate and riff based. The highlights are the nasty biting riffs of "Marching to Die," and its ripping solo, and the crunching riff and anthemic choral chant of "Chains and Leather".

TRACK LIST:
1. Branded and Exiled
2. Gods of the Iron
3. Realm of Shades
4. Mordor
5. Fight the Oppression
6. Evil Spirit
7. Marching To Die
8. Chains and Leather

Review by Dave Sobecki