Review SAVAGE GRACE “Underworld”

Savage Grace have never exactly been known for great album covers, and that is one tradition that has remained remarkably consistent throughout their career. Thankfully, the music has always been more interesting, as After the Fall from Grace proved back in the day. Power metal and speed metal are the coordinates on Savage Grace’s musical compass, and the band has rarely strayed too far from them.

Even so, Savage Grace never quite managed to escape their underground status, so the band’s breakup in 1992 did not come as a complete surprise. What followed was a long on-and-off existence that eventually led to a new album in 2023. Sign of the Cross showed that Savage Grace could still deliver a worthwhile record, and now Underworld continues that second chapter with another studio release.

Founding member Chris Logue remains the driving force behind the Savage Grace sound, making sure the band does not wander too far from its original formula even after all these years. The opening track, “White Trash, White Heat,” makes it clear right away that Savage Grace are looking back to their early days—and they do so with convincing results.

One of the most noticeable additions is new vocalist Sebastian Hauser. He gives the album the vocal range it needs, moving from gritty vocals to high-pitched screams with ease. His voice covers a broad spectrum and, together with Logue’s guitar work, adds a sense of old-school character to the record.

With “Three Ways to Heaven,” the band delivers a track rooted more firmly in classic US power metal, with shades of Armored Saint in the mix. “Valley of Fire,” meanwhile, sits somewhere between metal and rock, leaning toward the heavier side while still carrying plenty of Sunset Strip attitude.

“Destiny Damour” and “Way Back From Love” are less convincing and fall somewhere around the album’s average. The faster material, however, works considerably better. “Hard Times in Hollywood” is a solid headbanger, while the uptempo closer “Magic by Day, Tricks by Night” keeps the pedal down and carries the album across the finish line.

Underworld is the fourth album from a band that first started out in 1981. With this new record, Savage Grace are clearly trying to reconnect with the spirit of their early years, and at times they pull it off rather well. Sebastian Hauser proves to be a capable addition behind the microphone, while the songwriting still shows a few inconsistencies.

If Savage Grace can maintain the quality of tracks like “White Trash, White Heat” from start to finish—and perhaps finally give their records some artwork worthy of the music—there is little standing in the way of a powerful next chapter for this veteran metal act.