Saber Tiger "Project One" {aka: the heaviest album Keel never made)

Being a fan of Ron Keel (Steeler, Keel, and yes...even Iron Horse) I had to track this CD down. If you're a Keel fan, then this one should be on your list of lists. I guarantee it's the heaviest album he's ever made. 

I was always interested in Japanese metal bands in the 80s. I bought all the #Loudness #EZO #Anthem and #Lazy I could find. But when I read about guitarist Akihito Kinoshita's Saber Tiger with Ron Keel on vocals, Anthem founder Naoto Shibata on bass, and ex-Loudness/EZO Hirotsugu HonmaI on drums, I knew I had to find this one. Thorn in my side for too many years.

So, getting back to it, this is Saber Tiger's major debut Project One released in 1997. Some twenty years ago I had read about this in a metal 'zine, but I was never able to find a copy. Remember, this was back before the internet became the monster it is now. I could never locate the '97 release on Fandango Records, but I was able to locate a copy of the 2003 VAP release from a local store in Japan. 

Make no mistake, this album kicks MAJOR ass. This has the shredding, melodies galore, a huge fat bottom end, and the production is top notch. It's too damn bad this album went completely unnoticed outside Japan because it’s a phenomenal release. 

Saber Tiger - I'll Still Be Loving You (1997)