So before Malmsteen was…err…Malmsteen, and before Keel was…well…Keel – there was Steeler. Mike Varney was responsible for bringing Yngwie over to America with a work permit, and getting him to record and write this – the one and only – Steeler record with Ron Keel.
So what does it sound like I hear you ask? Well it sounds like Keel the band with Yngwie on guitar. The songs are typical American cock rock stompers with an over the top guitar player. I’m not surprised this project only lasted the one album, as this was always going to be a clash of the egos. What was left behind was the blueprint for Keel to record his next 3 records, and Yngwie would go on to be the donut eating guitar virtuoso we all know – after his short lived stint in Alcatrazz.
Cold Day In Heel is a kick ass opening tune and rocks accordingly with a typical Yngwie over the top solo. In fact, this is very much the order of proceedings all the way through the album – apart from Hot On Your Heels, which sees Yngwie widdly diddling right from the get go. Although very impressive, it’s all just fast runs and scales at this point. The intro to Abduction, the Side 2 opener, is very much in the direction in which Yngwie would go when he would go solo – very neo classical in style. My favourite track is the last song, Serenade, which, believe it or not, reminds me of Rush – especially the opening section. The song is a slow build tune with the appropriate big rock ending.
I admit to having a soft spot for this record, and I do like it. I know they would go on to bigger things, but it’s fun to see where it all started.
7.5/10 from The Grooveman.
