Steel Blades of Vengeance cut loose at 3 Kings on April 12

If its own bio is to be believed, Steel Blades of Vengeance (due at 3 Kings Tavern on Thursday, April 12) seems to have been through lineup changes worthy of Iced Earth. The two bands also share musical influences, as Steel Blades started life as Maiden Denver, an Iron Maiden...

By Tom Murphy

April 10, 2012

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If its own bio is to be believed, Steel Blades of Vengeance (due at 3 Kings Tavern on Thursday, April 12) seems to have been through lineup changes worthy of Iced Earth. The two bands also share musical influences, as Steel Blades started life as Maiden Denver, an Iron Maiden tribute band. Since embarking on writing its own material, the now-five-piece hasn't exactly strayed from its roots in the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) or early thrash. Oddly, the band cites Y&T as an influence, so maybe someone appreciates Dave Meniketti's ability to write tasteful leads inside a hard-rock pop song. Either way, Steel Blades might cop some of its sound from Judas Priest and the aforementioned Maiden, but its obvious ability to have fun with the conventions of classic metal is undeniable.

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Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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