One of the more intriguing newcomers to the glam metal scene, Latvia’s Bloody Heels issued a stunning, independent debut in ’17 and just like that, Frontiers picked them up with the release of their sophomore outing, Ignite The Sky. Bloody Heels isn’t the stereotypical glam metal act, there’s much more substance to them and the nuances in the harder edged lyrics and guitar playing make them one of the most exciting acts out there.

Singer Vicky White has a rougher and tougher edge than most who dwell in this genre and if Harry Rivers hasn’t escalated the hierarchy of guitar players yet, then he sure will be after his dynamic performance on this record. Bloody Heels doesn’t present surface level material for easy consumption. Sure, the sexualized “Sugar & Spice” would fall under that umbrella, especially with the riff that comes straight out of the Whitesnake, “Still Of The Night”, playbook, but otherwise, the tracks are musically deep and show a band that is wise beyond their years. The ambitious “Black Swan” stands as the star of the show with a breathtaking, airy solo by Rivers and escalates emotions between the moody bass line and passionate vocal performance from White. The title track and “Streets Of Misery” highlight their heavier sides with up-tempo energy and adrenaline pumping guitar playing, likened to the more aggressive side of ‘80s Dokken. “Farewell To Yesterday” is an interesting piece of music as well with a funky bass opening and changes mood from the verse to chorus, going from aggressive to a gliding, positive chorus part and then back-dropping to an up-tempo solo. Even the straight-forward nature of “Thin Line” carries out an extended solo that fades out and is a short moment that while not immediate in the grand scope of the album, just shows the musical acuity of the band.

Sparking more of their ambitions, “Silhouette” is a brooding, darker edged ballad with a build-up to an exploding, brilliant solo from Rivers and features a passionate vocal performance from White while “Healing Waters” rocks with an up-lifting attitude and then slows down to an unexpected saxophone solo, but it works and makes for an entertaining listen.

The talent of Bloody Heels is immense and this makes for two stellar albums to start their career; they have much songwriting depth, not afraid to take chances, and have that perfect balance to entice the heavier fans in while also being appealing to the casual, mainstream listener.