Originally from Pennsylvania, X-Caliber released only one work in 1986, in an epic heavy power metal style: “Warriors of the Night“. According to bassist Bruce Fleckenstein*, the members drew inspiration from Iron Maiden’s Powerslave, Eddie Van Halen’s solos, and other metal artists such as Slayer, Queensrÿche, Dokken, and Stryper.

Short-lived, X-Caliber was active between 1984 and 1987. They released a single LP, and although they recorded a second work, it was never released. The album combines the best of ’80s heavy metal: dark atmospheres, memorable choruses, and epic rhythms. “Runaway” features deep bass, clean and emotional sections, and a heavy technical development, becoming an excellent introduction to the band. “Warrior of the Night” is an extended track with a cinematic prologue and a progression from mid-tempo to faster passages, with strong bass presence.

“Tell Me Why” is a power ballad with a hard rock edge, much like “Rock’s Alive”, halfway between Scorpions and Kiss. Other standout songs include “Told You Not Run“, a mid-tempo track with strong emotion, and the folk ballad “Someday”, which closes the album.

In sum, this is a record lost in time that captures the best of an era, perhaps a missing link between the first chords of hard rock and the first wave of the heavy power metal scene, with a medieval aesthetic used as a metaphor for resilience in the face of life’s hardships and the eternal struggle between good and evil.

*Statements taken from the book Heroes of the Metal Underground by Alexandros Anesiadis and Yannis Skarpelos.