Review by Rexorcist for Scanner - Hypertrace (1988)

I've heard this album twice and both times I had the same opinion: Scanner's debut stands out from the rest of the power metal world for truly mastering the sci-fi vibe without needing too many electronic sound effects.  Lyrically, the album hits the cyberpunk vibe right in the red dot, from the laser guns to the politics to the mythos.  "Warp 7" sounds like the opening to a real sci-fi movie from the 80's, and all of the songs follow in that vein just fine, switching from simple jams to freedom anthems in the vein of Gamma Ray.  If I had to fault the album for anything, it's that the album really isn't as heavy as other speed-power metal hybrid acts like early Helloween or Running Wild, so there's a faint feeling of simply just following in a scene for the sake of easy fame.  The production doesn't do any favors for the drummer, and as a result the guitarists and the vocalist have to fill the void.  Otherwise, this album is perfectly fine and should be checked out by any power metal fan.