This might come as a surprise to many Americans, but just as so many '80s glam bands ( , , etc.) have continued to tour and release LPs long after their prime, so does a large contingent of European groups from roughly the same time frame -- though one can confidently say those across the pond are nowhere near as decadent as their American counterparts. These are acts of mostly German origin: , and for our purposes here, , who had an important hand in classic 's transition into by way of , and which, because they never quite nailed that formula as well as others, eventually reverted to a more traditional, though still hybrid style of what is frequently dubbed "legacy" . 's career exemplifies this trajectory as well as any, and following a pair of distinctly thrashier efforts spurred by the arrival of former guitarist , 2005's -- the band's 11th studio album -- marks a return to that "vintage" sound. This is characterized by the memorably anthemic choruses of the and (which tears down and rebuilds 's riff), majestic dual guitar harmonies ( ), a few galloping exercises ( ), yes, and as if you hadn't already noticed, frequent lyrical allusions to 's final hours (the title track, etc.), though bandleader stressed that this is not a full concept album. Wrap it all up with a suitably dramatic power called and you have a textbook example of European , begging the inevitable question: why mess with a winning formula? Why indeed. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia