It begins as so many metal albums before it have – the deep, ominous voice telling its haunting tale; the tolling of a bell; pipe organ keyboards that lead to a razor sharp metal riff. Yes it's all been done before, but this time there's a twist – it's in Spanish, and it kicks ass.

This first track, which happens to also be the title track, is an excellent song that brings back all the best things about classic metal. With vocals reminiscent of bands like Queensryche, TNT, and Tokyo Blade, and some great melodies to match, this is quite refreshing to hear. The track also appears at the end of the album, only this time it is sung in English; both versions of the tune stand proud and strong. As the album moves along, Pacto de Sangre stick to the classic metal formulas with great success. The ballads "Verde a Predicar" and "Amen" are the stereotypical power metal ballads, but they have excellent melody going for them and a talented band to bring the well written melodies to life. The band does wander a bit off the beaten path with songs like "La Ley De Dios," which has a faster-paced, more aggressive sound reminiscent of early Anthrax. And songs like "Cae, Cae" and "Arrepientete" border on the verge of death metal, complete with growling bulldog vocals. I think the band is out of its realm on these tracks, but the talent of the band still makes the songs worth listening to. This band is best when it let's the vocals soar with the great melodies, and the guitars are enhancing those melodies with nice tone and abrupt licks.

All in all, this is a real thrill ride for the classic metal fan that misses the "good ol' days.

Official website: www.pactodesangre.com
MySpace profile: www.myspace.com/pactodesangre