Under Attack!

If, like me, you're forever wallowing in the absence of Australia's waylaid Johnny Touch (and its equally cool artwork), revel in New South Wales' latest melodically and methodically speedy entrepreneur, LiveWire, which fans of Britain's equally pristine Primitai might also enjoy. Following - as well as preceding - bonus CD material singles, its roughly half hour long full-length debut, Under Attack! is a brief but worthy seven track snack effusing classically reaped riffs and solos beneath eloquent upper strata front man who, at times, evokes male counterpart to Unleash The Archers' Brittney Slayes.

Its rhythm section sustains such glistening fret board pirouettes and, with all tracks except for "A Cold Day In Hell" falling below five minutes, the record's incredibly dense volume of kinetically charged movement makes it feel longer than it actually is. A few standouts include mid point, leaner and meaner, chromatic wing dinger "Conqueror", all-encompassing lead play extravaganza and Megadeth-like rib tickler "Insecticide", along with progressively glam "Midnight Sun", whose harmonious refrain will stick fast to your brain. For want of a rogue stopper, consider the death metallish "Lockjaw Death Roll" appropriately named. Without doubt, LiveWire merits a spin or three.