I normally wait until I have heard a new album a few times before I give my opinion. There's always that initial excitement with a new release that may sway my thoughts. I have listened to this album a whopping two times and decided to write this "review" because I have to tell you about this record.

2009's "Masquerade" is Meliah Rage's 8th release all together, and it's one of their very best. After 2 albums with vocalist Paul Souza, original Meliah vocalist Mike Munro was welcomed back into the fold. I still remember hearing about that awhile ago and grinning from ear to ear. It's really like a dream come true for me. Meliah means that much to me.

I had a teeny bit of apprehension upon receiving this CD because the last 2 with Souza were lacking some essential elements. "Barely Human" was a decent return to form, but "The Deep And Dreamless Sleep" sounded like it was called in. So would the dynamic songwriting that graced the classics "Kill To Survive" and "Solitary Solitude" return along with the voice that defined the band? In this fat guy's opinion, hell yes it did!

What the listener is given with "Masquerade" is nine really solid tracks that honestly pick up where "Death Valley Dream" left off. However, I think this album blows DVD out of the water. The band sounds hungry and ready to regain the momentum they began with their earlier records.

The production is very impressive to me. Producer Rich Spillberg managed to capture the essence of the band. Every instrument can be heard clearly and the album isn't overbearing in the volume department, an unfortunate phenomena which many new metal releases suffer from. There are no unwanted surprises on this album, no experimentation, just straight ahead, no holds barred energy.

The songs that were posted on the Meliah Rage Myspace page represent this album very well. In fact, at this moment, my favorite songs on the album are "Lost Or Found" and "Hour Glass". Maybe that’s because I played them over and over again during the last couple of days waiting for my CD to arrive. :) I mentioned no surprises earlier, I lied. There are a couple. First Ronny Monroe's (Metal Church) performance on "Last Rites" is PHENOMENAL! He sounds alot better fronting Meliah than he does with Metal Church. He really gets to show his talents on that song. The second surprise is the almost classic Alice Cooper-ish sound of "Masquerade". While it's a song like no other they have released, it is still a real treat to listen to. The atmosphere is HUGE on that song. I think most will dig it, although some nit-wit metal fans won't understand it.

Overall, I am overwhelmed by Meliah Rage's "Masquerade" album. It is what I had hoped for and more. I just hope that the band continues with Munro at the helm because with him in the band, the guys are firing with all pistons, and to be honest, with that lineup I think they are untouchable in the metal world. The guys haven’t reinvented the wheel with this album, but they have created an album that should impress even the most jaded metal fan.

There are a few big name metal albums still to be released this year, but I have a feeling this one will be my top choice for this year.

Yes. It's THAT good.