DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS is proud to present SIGN OF THE JACKAL’s highly anticipated third album, Heavy Metal Survivors, on CD and vinyl LP formats.

SIGN OF THE JACKAL, hailing from Rovereto, Italy, has been playing loud since 2007. This is the long awaited third full length album of the band. The album is marketed as “pure mid-‘80s speed metal energy, injected with a classic ‘70s Italian horror atmosphere” and I feel that it for sure lives up to the hype.

Line-up:
Laura “Demons Queen”: Lead Vocals
Bob “Harlock666”: Lead and Rhythm Guitars
Dave L. “Dröz”: Rhythm and Lead Guitars
Frederick “Triple F”: Bass Guitar
Corra “Hellblazer”: Drums

Review
The album starts with the dystopic synth intro “Eulogy of the Survivors” setting the mood for an 80s vibe. The first song kicks off with “Breaking the Spell” which is also the first single of the album. This is a breakneck speed metal song and very catchy. The drums are heavy, the guitarwork is very precise, and the vocals are screaming loud. Sign of The Jackal is fronted by Italian-born Laura ”Demon Queen” and she works hard to live up to her name. It is heavy, fast and atmospheric. Some artistic decisions have been heavily emphasized in the mix to enhance the 80s vibe. It is classic midheavy with lots of reverb. This could be what every nostalgic metal fan could be looking for, or it could be slightly too much. 

Next up is the second single ”Buio Omega” which starts slightly slower. The vocals begin with some soft sung lines, which I find a bit weak , but right after that the vocals beautifully break up in a higher pitch and ”Buio Omega” turns out to be my favourite song of the album. The guitarwork is really good, with nice screaming leads played with great feeling and a virtuously fast speed metal solo. 

“Pedal to the Metal” is the third single of the album offering a beautiful vibe, and also the best sing-along song of the album. This might be one of the most requested songs on live gigs around Europe in 2025. 

“Phantasm” introduces a healthy dose of horror style synths. While it is an instrumental piece, this is a great addition to the album for bringing in the vibe. 

“Slaves of Hell” and “Watch Out” are two Speed Metal pieces that reminds me of old school Metallica around the Kill’em All-era, but styled with the unique Italian female fronted metal that is Sign of the Jackal.

”Nightmare City” is a great song with a good sing-along chorus and great guitarwork. This is a good example of my idea of how to interpret production. This song is lacking something and I think that the atmosphere (read: reverb) is emphasized too much, making it muddy. A band on the other side of the spectrum would be Steel Panther, where every syllable or note is almost too articulated.

The last two songs of the album “Shocker” and “You Better Run for Tomorrow” are well crafted, still featuring the soaring vocals, precise guitarwork and horror synth-elements. These are good songs but not that radio-friendly and catchy compared to the first three singles “Breaking the Spell”, “Buio Omega” and “Pedal to the “Metal” that I feel are the albums strongest songs.

Conclusion
In the end, Heavy Metal Survivors captures the spirit of ‘80s speed metal with a unique Italian flair. While not flawless, its world-class screams and meticulous guitarwork make it a nostalgic yet fresh experience for fans of the genre. This could be what you all were waiting for; this female-fronted band brings beautifully crafted songs with virtuously played guitarwork and vocals that reach high with piercing screams that hit just right. The drums are lush with a perfectly crafted snare sound that hits you right in the gut. The bass guitar work is well-played but masked under the heavily emphasized rhythm guitars with which it is synced.

On the contrary, even though some screams are world class, I feel that the vocal production is not living up to the same quality. Some of the parts are a bit weak, but mostly, I think the artistic decision about reverb needs to be mentioned. Some might find the vocals to be spot on 80s production, but some might just find it drenched in the reverb. 

So concluding: this speed metal album could be what everyone needs, especially directed to you nostalgic people thinking the best albums were released in the 80s. We all know that we don’t actually need another Iron Maiden-clone, but this all-Italian female fronted speed metal band give a unique flavour that could turn out to be what we all were waiting for.

The slightly distorted high pitched screams are world class and the guitars are virtuously played. In total though, I couldn’t give this album a perfect score because not all songs are equally good and I feel that the production is lacking something. 

The NWOTHM score: 8/10

Release info:
– Regular edition on black vinyl, with insert, poster, sticker, postcard and download code.
– Special edition on creme colored vinyl, with insert, poster, sticker, postcard download code and patch.
– CD edition with sticker, obi

Pre-order:
www.dyingvictims.com
https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/