Jack Starr’s Guardian Of The Flame - Under A Savage Sky
Cult Metal Classics

Horst: About one year ago we published an interview with Jack Starr in LoM. In this interview the American guitarist – once with Virgin Steele – reacted one some statements made by Virgin Steele frontman David DeFeis in an interview also published in LoM (check our archives for all the juicy details). At the same time Jack also mentioned his new project/band: Guardians Of The Flame. Well, this band recently released ‘Under A Savage Sky’.
My colleague Ferdi asked Jack how this new musical adventure would sound like. Jack answered that he was very much in love with Metallica’s ‘Black Album’ and the stuff Black Sabbath had put out through the years, and therefore Guardians Of The Flame’s music would be something like a mix of those. Well, I guess it would have been enough if Jack had said that the album would be plain early 80’s Heavy Metal, for ‘Under A Savage Sky’ is no more and no less than that. Do I mind? Hell no, as long as it is done the right way I don’t give a toss about the fact that I already have heard every trick in the book that is done on this album.
It is a fact that Jack knows this brand of metal like no other. I even dare to say that this dude was himself responsible for a bit of development within this genre. And he doesn’t come alone, no Sir. He surrounded himself with some other guys who also are no stranger to the old shit. On drums there is Joe Hasselvander (Pentagram, Raven), and bassplayer Ned Meloni did some stuff before with Jack (Burning Star) and was also active with Joe Lynn Turner (ex-Rainbow). And to boost up the ‘old-boys network’ factor even some more there are guest appearances from UFO’s Paul Chapman and Mark Gallagher from Raven. But the biggest surprise where the vocals. I mean, as usual I had put the CD on without reading the biography first, but in no-time I was back in 1984.
February 11th 1984 to be exact, at the IJsselhal in Zwolle (Holland), in which the Aardschok-day was held that year. Our bus arrived too late, the pre-ordered tickets where missing, and only after some long discussions with the staff we could get into the hall, halfway the first band of the day. And that band was Horizon. Now Horizon was one of the few Dutch metal bands those days that actually had a great singer: the Israeli Shmoulik Avigal. As far as I can recall Shmoulik did a great job that day, and we all thought this band could make it big. Well, if I am not very mistaken all that was achieved was one lousy album, after which Shmoulik again left a band (before Horizon he also ditched Picture after one album) to get his kicks somewhere else. That somewhere else became the USA, where he started singing with The Rods. Now I doubt that that was very successful, because in the last 20 years I heard only sporadically news from both band and singer. And now he is back. With a voice almost the same as so long ago…
So, in essence we’re dealing here with dudes who should be able of delivering some cool old school heavy metal. And so they do. After the cheesy intro – ‘Oh Fortuna’ by Carl Orff, also know as the intro music for Ozzy gigs - ‘The Flame That Never Dies’ blows from your speakers. A typical mid-tempo headbanger which immediately makes the connection between old Virgin Steele with Picture vocals, with a traditional build-up, lots of guitar solo’s and strong riffs, the blueprint for a cool heavy metal tune. ‘Conspiratos Sanctos’ slows things down a bit, with lots of eastern melody lines (like Rainbow did years ago with ‘Gates Of Babylon’). ‘Cry For Dawn’ is a fucking cool up-tempo heavy metal tune (double-bass all the way, hell yeah!) with a deliciously long guitar solo, something which you don’t hear very often these days. In mean, in an age where too many guitar players are only riffing like madman this is really a treat for the ears. ‘Anthem For The Nations’ follows, an instrumental with some influences out of Classical music.
The next seven minutes are reserved for ‘Sharon Of The Woods’, but alas this tune is as weak as the title itself. A crappy tune that just does not work, and I got this feeling both singer and guitarist are each doing a different song at the same time. Luckily ‘Under A Savage Sky’ makes up for this mistake: mid-tempo heavy metal, supported by the constant battering of the double-bass, catchy guitar licks and a nice melodic chorus. ‘I Stand Alone’ is good for more than eight minutes of different tempo’s, breaks and lots of room for Jack’s wizardry on guitar. Next on the list is ‘Personal Demons Dethroned’, and this one reminded me a lot – also because of the ‘feel’ – of metal Iron Maiden produced on ‘Piece Of Mind’. ‘Masters Of Fate’ – again an eight-minuter – for the main part is rather slow, but never becomes dull or boring. The tune is well composed and full of clever melody lines and catchy chorusus, which invite one to shamelessly singing along. ‘Return From The Ashes’ puts an end to this album, but it does not impress me much. Jack is doing a solo thing here, supported by drum and bass, but it all sounds a bit too cliché, and adds nothing whatsoever to the record.
Well, I guess in the meantime you pretty much will get the picture when it comes down to the music on ‘Under A Savage Sky’. It is old school heavy metal, everything you hear has been done already, and if you are only interested in renewing kinds of music you’d better leave this album alone. On the other hand, fans of this particular metal niche should definitely check it out. And if not for the music, than certainly to hear Shmoulik sing some other tunes for a change than the good old ‘Rock n’ Roll Mind’ or ‘Message From Hell’…
Rating: 86/100
URL - Cult Metal Classics.

Goldmine.com

Jack STARR'S GUARDIANS OF THE FLAME: "Under A Savage Sky"
Cult Metal Classics May 16 2003

More than 20 years after ex-Virgin Steele guitarist Jack Starr helped define the sound that eventually melded into modern-day power metal, he returns with an album that could compete with some of the bands his old group helped spawn.
Under A Savage Sky, the debut from Jack Starr's Guardians Of The Flame, is steeped in straight-ahead traditional heavy metal with lyrics about "unholy alliances made in the dark" and "defenders of the realm". It sound familiar because these veteran players -- Starr, singer Shmoulik Avigal, drummer Joe Hasselvander, and bassist Ned Meloni (both early members of Starr's mid-80s band, Burning Starr)-- know what they're doing by targeting current power-metal listeners as much as longtime old-school metal fans. Stand out track "the Flame That Never Dies" even begins with a choir that recalls Rhapsody's recent symphonic-metal epics.
At their essence, songs such as "I Stand Alone", Masters Of Fate" and the title track, with anthem like choruses, heavy power chords and rousing melodies, will likely remind listeners of what drew them to metal in the first place.
Throughout the record, Starr's solos soar, and the two instrumentals that bookend Under A Savage Sky's other eight tracks sound as good as, if not better than, some of the songs with vocals. (Those would be "Cry For Dawn" and "Sharon Of The Wood", which come off stale and perpetuate genre stereotypes.)
Starr deserves credit for dancing along the fine line between remaining loyal to his roots and embracing today's current sound.
Many other artists have tried and failed to achieve such balance. What's more, with Under A Savage Sky Starr comes closer to Virgin Steele's original sound than anything his former band has released in recent years.
Review By: Michael Popke.
URL - Cult Metal Classics.

The Metal Observer.com

Jack STARR'S GUARDIANS OF THE FLAME: "Under A Savage Sky"
Cult Metal Classics May 16 2003
Isn't it funny? During his time in VIRGIN STEELE I could not stand the guitar play of Jack Starr. BURNING STARR I could not stand at all. And now JACK STARR'S GUARDIANS OF THE FLAME are there and "Under A Savage Sky" is in my player. And what should I say? I like it! Did he change that much? Not really, traditional Heavy/Power Metal of the Eighties school, somewhere between the European and American kind (although more on the American side) still is the law, but for some reason Starr's guitar play is less "annoying" to my ears and sounds more in the song than before. So that is maybe the main thing that works in his favour as far as my taste is concerned…
As said before, the music is deeply rooted in the Eighties, very deeply even, actually "Under A Savage Sky" could just as well have been released back then, but that still makes it not sound outdated (ok, some passages and songs do, I admit it). Maybe also because his crew is really tight, especially drummer Joe Hasselvander lays a great foundation for the sound of this troop that also has a powerful singer in Shmoulik Avigal, whose name I never had heard before, but who formerly apparently had been with Dutch PICTURE and THE RODS. He might not be the most elaborate of his kind, but with his power he fits the sound very well (and a good voice he has, too, definitely)!
Anyways, JACK STARR'S GUARDIANS OF THE FLAME (did he HAVE to pick such a short and handy name?) have a few damn good tunes in their repertoire, the quartet of "Cry For Dawn", "Anthem For The Nations", "Sharon Of The Woods" and the title track "Under A Savage Sky" is among the best four songs in a row I have heard in that style in a while (meaning the heavily 80s influenced material) even! Sure, there have been better albums overall, but those four songs alone are already worth it to get this album.
So how is the rest, you ask? Well, it definitely is far from bad, in the worst case it is solid Power Metal of the more American kind, but it cannot fully compete with the mentioned four songs (also because sometimes Starr's guitar sound that I do not like comes through as well, as at the beginning of "Masters Of Fate"). The cover art is also very much in the style of the genre and the logo, I think that TIERRA SANTA had used this kind of lettering before or at least a similar one, but I could be wrong, of course.
In any way, if you are a fan of the style and also have a certain affinity towards the sound of the Eighties, then I suggest that you check out "Under A Savage Sky", like I said, those four songs alone should already make you get your wallet out, so don't say you have not been warned! (Online July 9, 2003)
Review By: Alex.
Rating: 7.5/10
URL - Cult Metal Classics.

Heavy Metal Universe.Fr

Jack STARR'S GUARDIANS OF THE FLAME: "Under A Savage Sky"
Cult Metal Classics 2003
Here is the new album of the new band of guitar-player Jack Starr (ex-VIRGIN STEELE, ex-BURNING STARR) who gathered here some talentuous musicians like Joe Hasselvander (PENTAGRAM, RAVEN) on the drums, Ned Meloni (JOE LYNN TURNER, BURNING STARR) on the bass, and a singer called Shmoulik Avigal (PICTURE, HORIZON, THE RODS). The result is a very traditionnal music, some very well-played classic heavy metal which sounds like the good old 80's with cool guest musicians such as Paul Chapman (UFO) and Mark Gallagher (RAVEN) who come to make one guitar-solo each. Moreover, the solos are the main argument of this album that contains plenty of them, and even if the vocal lines and rythmics sometimes sound like dčjŕ-vu despite the excellent quality of musicians and singer, solos will probably attract the attention of the most closed among you. In spite of some tedious passages here and there (I stand alone, Master of fate), the album appears to be very pleasing, and it's quite cool to see that since the first listening we already have the feeling to listen to some classic album of the style, just as if we heard some old album found in an old forgotten drawer... the name of the label couldn't fit better GUARDIANS OF THE FLAME, and Jack Starr makes a very honorable come-back, good enough to make us forget the mediocrity of the three last productions of his original band (this last remark is only my own opinion for I didn't like the successors to VIRGIN STEELE's 'Invictus').
Review By: Seb.
Rating: 4/6
URL - Cult Metal Classics.