Reviewed by Peter John Willoughby

Ultimatum is a thrash metal band from New Mexico, which claims not to follow any trends. They have been around since 1992 and 'Lex Metalis' (Latin for "Metal Is Law") is the band's fifth full-length release. Here they pay tribute to their musical heroes, by covering thirteen well-known metal anthems. Singer Scott Water (webmaster for nolifetilmetal.com) says "At first we just played the songs as they were originally written. However, we soon began experimenting with them trying to make the songs sound like Ultimatum songs. We didn't want this collection of songs to sound like some lame garage band. Rather we wanted this to sound like an Ultimatum CD. In the end, I think we accomplished that task. We didn't worry so much about making every note and chord perfect. Rather, we just recorded what sounded good to us." The cover booklet explains the reasons behind the band choice for each song. The quality of the songs varies upon whom they are covering. For example, Judas Priest and Metallica lend themselves to the Ultimatum thrash treatment and snarling vocals. But the likes of Quiet Riot and Saxon were 80s hair metal classics and they don't stand up to the gritty sound and muddy production. Also, whilst the musicians are accomplished, Scott's voice is not to everyone's taste.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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