Reviews list for Heavens Gate - Livin' in Hysteria (1991)

Heaven's Gate aren't exactly a new thing.  They take so much from earlier bands like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest that I can imagine more purist metalheads getting tired of them pretty quickly.  Still, in the case of their sophomore album, Livin' in Hysteria, there's a lot of energy coming from them, probably more than Judas had done up to that point.  That title track there is an excellent example of why heavy metal is so damn good: it's all about the badassery, which comes in many forms: independence, strength, anger at society, desire to rampage, etc.  Of course, even the title track has a surprise hard rock midtro lightly reminiscent of the Southern rock of Allman Brothers while singing melodic vocals similar to early Kansas.  Despite feeling out of place, the go right back on track with some great power metal solos.  Another thing to point out is that they carry the fantasy edge of symphonic acts without being symphonic, and switch it with the speed metal sound of Running Wild when necessary.  There's even a fairly neoclassical two-minute piece in the middle of the album, "Fredless," which, despite such a crappy title, does its just as an intermission piece very well and has some of the better riffs on the album.  The riffs carry the very essence of metal badassery, and the vocalist does an excellent job amplifying that power.  If the band didn't sound so much like Iron Maiden in spirit and tone, this would be a five-star release.