Back in the Year of Our Plague 2021, New York City’s own Tower came out of nowhere and delivered a massive sucker punch to an unsuspecting Steely with their appropriately titled sophomore opus Shock to the System. It was a powerhouse ode to classic 80s metal full of sizzling guitar work and the massive vocals of Sarabeth Linden. It mixed the best elements of early US metal and NWoBHM, touching on nostalgia acts like Riot City and Enforcer along with classic units like Chastain and Oz and it hit significantly above its weight. 2025 brings the sequel, Let There Be Dark, and it’s business as usual at the Tower of Power as they dig deep into the 80s metal crypts for retro gold. But can they catch lightning in a hobo wine bottle twice? Pray for retro mojo.
The recipe that worked so well last time is still in use, but Tower try out some softer shades now too. Opener “Under the Chapel” is a barn scorcher full of dazzling riffwork leveraging the raucous, punky edge of NWoBHM, but rather than coming in at 12 and staying there, Sarabeth opts for seductive croons over brute force at times, using her enchanting siren song to create a more diverse experience. The aggressive music pairs very well with Sarabeth’s shifting tones and the song sticks in the grey matter immediately. The title track is another in-your-face rocker leaning on 80s speed metal, providing Sarabeth the perfect foundation to roar and soar. The chorus is a simple but elegant fist-pumper and their rowdy retro magic shines brightly. The high point arrives with “Holy Water,” which is just a lean, mean metal tune full of pugnacious attitude, ripping guitar work, and mammoth vocals. Sarabeth goes all in here, showing all phases of her range as she destroys the universe like an Infinity Gauntlet set to “Pulpify.” This woman has the Kovorka!
Elsewhere, “Book of the Hidden” scores another big win for Tower, finding an epic level in their sound that marries well with the straightforward, no-nonsense riff hooliganism, making the whole thing reek of 1983. To change things up, they deliver a seething power ballad called “And I Cry” where Sarabeth wallows in emotional tumult. Sarabeth shines, forcing your rapt attention despite the maudlin mechanics. Better still is “Don’t You Say” where they borrow a lot from the classic Judas Priest brooder “Night Comes Down.” While Let There Be Dark is a wild, entertaining ride, it’s not without a few minor issues. Both “And I Cry” and the very Mötörhead-esque “Iron Clad” are good but not quite next level, and closer “The Hammer” is a badass song that runs a bit too long at nearly 7 minutes. The presence of 2 short interludes on an album running just 39 minutes also seems unnecessary. The overall writing level is very good but a bit less righteous than on Shock to the System. Still, when this thing smokes, you get burned by trveness.
Sararbeth Linden is the vibrant core of the band, with her vocals doing much of the heavy lifting. She has the rough-hewn rasp of Janis Joplin and the breathy power of a young Cher and I continue to be awed by the size and scope of her voice. The lady sounds massive at all volumes and she’s exceptionally versatile. She can blow the doors off with a leather-lunged roar and beguile with a soft lilt. It occurs to me that what Tower and Nite do musically isn’t that far apart, but boy, what a difference a talented vocalist makes. Imagine Sarabeth dropping into the middle of a Nite track? BOOM goes the dynamite! Speaking of explosives, James Danzo and Zak Penley use their wanton guitar heroics to fight Sarabeth for your attention. Their playing reminds me a lot of Satan’s Russ Tippins and Steve Ramsey as they rip off flaming riffs, hooky harmonies, and face-melting solos. They capture the early 80s metal sound and dabble in punk and speed elements to spice things up. Together with bassist Phillip Arman and new kit killer Keith Mikus, they lay out a wonderful soundscape for Sarabeth to chew on, and chew she certainly does.
Let There Be Dark is another notch in the win column for the little New York City band that could. It’s not as rabid as Shock to the System but it isn’t far off the bite mark. Tower are the band to watch in the retro metal space now and they have the talent to do anything they want. Climb this Tower to the tippy-top and hurl yourself into the retroverse.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Cruz Del Sur
Websites: towernyc.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/towernyc | instagram.com/towernyc
Releases Worldwide: March 21st, 2025
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