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Album Review – Lady Beast / The Inner Alchemist (2025)

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Let’s ride into the battlefield to the sound of this true locomotive of old school Heavy Metal masterfully crafted by one of the most electrifying names of the current scene.

Flying the flag for refined Heavy Metal since their inception back in 2009, always influenced by metal titans the likes of Motörhead, Dio, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Mercyful Fate, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s own unstoppable force Lady Beast returns to action five years after their latest full-length opus The Vulture’s Amulet, and four years after their striking EP Omens, with a brand new album entitled The Inner Alchemist, continuing to melt our faces with their sturdy aesthetic, authentically 80’s-entrenched Heavy Metal that struts and gallops with equal aplomb. Recorded by Jason Jouver, mastered by Yavé “Rust” Rodriguez, and displaying an ass-kicking, evocative artwork by Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration, The Inner Alchemist is a true locomotive of old school metal music masterfully crafted by frontwoman Deborah Levine, guitarists Andy Ramage and Chris Tritschler, bassist Amy Bianco, and Adam Ramage, offering more of their high-octane music infused with swords and sorcery.

The scorching riffs by Andy and Chris rev up the band’s metallic engine in Oracle’s Omen, a true banger where Deborah already distills her soaring vocals for our total delight; whereas their Power Metal vein pulses stronger than ever in Through the Eyes of War, with Adam dictating the song’s electrifying pace supported by the classic bass lines by Amy, being therefore recommended for some fun inside the mosh pit. The band then delivers an overdose of Heavy Metal magic in the title-track Inner Alchemist, a headbanging hymn where the rumbling kitchen by Amy and Adam is perfect for Deborah’s piercing vocal lines, morphing into Starborn, which offers our avid ears a serene, melancholic start in the best Iron Maiden way possible, then evolving into a more Judas Priest-inspired sound until the end.

Their feast of old school, no shenanigans sounds goes on in full force in Crone’s Crossroads, a frantic, in-your-face display of Heavy Metal where Adam hammers his drums nonstop while the riffage by Andy and Chris exhale fire and power; and their NWOBHM side explodes majestically in Feed Your Fire, where their caustic riffage and solos, as well as their fast-paced beats, match flawlessly with Deborah’s epic roars. Witch Light is an instrumental tune that sounds fairly decent, although I still prefer any song with Deborah’s vocals like what happens in The Wild Hunt, where she declaims the song’s lyrics beautifully supported by the galloping sounds blasted by her bandmates. Last but definitely not least, it’s pedal to the metal in the thrilling Off with Their Heads, sounding thrashy at times thanks to the infuriated riffs by Andy and Chris, therefore putting a wild conclusion to such a breathtaking album.

After all is said and done, you’ll notice that not only The Inner Alchemist is a pure Lady Beast album, but also that the production on the album beautifully highlights their heaviness, turning it into a special milestone in their already solid career. Having said that, Deborah and her henchmen are waiting for you to join them in the battlefield by following them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, by streaming their epic creations on Spotify, and of course by grabbing a copy of the breathtaking The Inner Alchemist from the Dying Victims Productions’ BandCamp or by clicking HERE. It’s time to ride through the vast realm of heavy music alongside Lady Beast to the sound of their newborn opus, keeping the flames of classic Heavy Metal burning for all eternity and, therefore, fueling the band to keep blasting our ears with more albums like The Inner Alchemist in the foreseeable future.

Best moments of the album: Through the Eyes of War, Crone’s Crossroads, Feed Your Fire and Off with Their Heads.

Worst moments of the album: Witch Light.

Released in 2025 Dying Victims Productions

Track listing
1. Oracle’s Omen 4:08
2. Through the Eyes of War 3:47
3. Inner Alchemist 3:48
4. Starborn 6:56
5. Crone’s Crossroads 3:27
6. Feed Your Fire 4:37
7. Witch Light 2:19
8. The Wild Hunt 3:28
9. Off with Their Heads 3:09

Band members
Deborah Levine – vocals
Andy Ramage – lead guitar
Chris Tritschler – rhythm guitar
Amy Bianco – bass
Adam Ramage – drums

Album Review – Lady Beast / Omens EP (2021)

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Bang your head nonstop to the straight-to-the-point new EP of pure Heavy Metal by this fantastic Pittsburgh-based band, sprinkling a dust on the poisoned path from which they summit.

The stunning Deborah Levine and her bandmates Andy Ramage and Chris Tritschler on the guitars, Amy Bianco on bass and Adam Ramage on drums, collective known as Pittsburgh, United States-based Heavy Metal outfit Lady Beast, are back in action now in 2021 with a short and sweet EP entitled Omens, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2020 album The Vulture’s Amulet, featuring four original tracks plus a very special cover song that transpire pure Heavy Metal throughout the EP’s almost 20 minutes of music. Sprinkling a dust on the poisoned path from which Lady Beast summit, Omens is highly recommended for admirers of the NWOBHM combined with the badass music and rockin’ attitude by Motörhead, Thin Lizzy and Mercyful Fate, among others, providing newcomers to their metallic realm a very good sample of what the band has been delivering to their fans since their inception in 2009, and of what we can expect from such talented crew in their future releases.

The Poisoned Path already brings pure Heavy Metal to our avid ears, with its old school lyrics declaimed by Deborah (“I go out in the dark, / I whisper to the night… / A voice, it soon replies… / Secure a candles flame, / and sharpen up your blade. / Follow me down the poisoned path I’ve made.”) making things even more exciting, while Amy kicks some ass with her low-tuned bass. Then it’s time for more of the band’s melodic sounds in Reaper, with Andy being on fire with his riffs and solos accompanied by his guitar comrade Chris, feeling utterly inspired by the classic music by Iron Maiden and Judas Priest; and they continue to travel through the golden years of rock and metal in Blood For Blood, with Adam smashing his drums in great fashion while Deborah mesmerizes us all once again with her sharp and captivating vocals. After such powerful tune, Lady Beast pay a high-octane tribute to the one and only Rainbow with their electrifying rendition for the undisputed classic Kill the King (you can check the original song HERE), with Deborah and the boys (and girl) being on fire from start to finish, specially Andy and Chris who deliver together sheer awesomeness through their guitars. Last but not least, let’s bang our heads once again to the pounding drums by Adam in the thrilling The Fool’s Journey, showcasing incendiary riffs and solos supported by the rumbling bass by Amy, therefore providing Deborah all she needs to shine on vocals.

If you want to give Omens a spin, you can find the EP in its entirety on YouTube, but of course in order to show your true support to underground Heavy Metal you should definitely purchase a copy of it from the band’s own BandCamp page, as well as from the Reaper Metal Productions’ webstore in regular CD format or as an ass-kicking 12″ LP on screen printed black/white splatter vinyl that comes with a 11×11 two sided insert with band photo and lyrics (and as side A is the only playable side, on side B is a screen printed image in metallic silver ink). Also, don’t forget to give the band a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, and to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their first-class music and stylish videos. I guess I don’t need to explain that the omens found in Lady Beast’s new EP are all beyond good, but just in case you don’t believe me, simply hit play and let this fantastic beast from Pittsburgh show you how heavy music should be played. I bet you’ll instantly fall in love for their music.

Best moments of the album: Kill the King and The Fool’s Journey.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2021 Reaper Metal Productions

Track listing
1. The Poisoned Path 3:26
2. Reaper 3:50
3. Blood For Blood 3:34
4. Kill the King (Rainbow cover) 4:17
5. The Fool’s Journey 4:25

Band members
Deborah Levine – vocals
Andy Ramage – lead guitar
Chris Tritschler – rhythm guitar
Amy Bianco – bass
Adam Ramage – drums

Album Review – Lady Beast / The Vulture’s Amulet (2020)

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The Heavy Metal beasts from Pittsburgh return with another sensational round of soaring vocals, incendiary riffs and classic drums in their fourth full-length opus.

After hundreds of concerts, festivals, tours, three full-length albums, one EP and one compilation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Heavy Metal machine Lady Beast is more than ready to celebrate over 10 years kicking ass and spreading their fulminating music all over the world with their fourth full-length opus entitled The Vulture’s Amulet, an ode to all things metal highly inspired by behemoths the likes of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio, Mercyful Fate and Motörhead. Featuring a beyond stylish and sexy artwork by American artist Adam Burke (Nightjar Illustration), The Vulture’s Amulet has everything it takes to conquer the hearts of any diehard metalhead, from soaring vocals to breathtaking riffs and blast beats, showcasing all the talent, energy and passion flowing from frontwoman Deborah Levine, guitarists Andy Ramage and Chris Tritschler, bassist Greg Colaizzi (who has just left the band, being replaced by Amy Bianco) and drummer Adam Ramage and, above all, proving once again heavy music is still alive and kicking inside our hearts forever and ever.

Classic, razor-edged riffs ignite the frantic and electrifying ode to heavy music titled Metal Machine, filling every single space in the air with electricity and rage before Deborah comes ripping with her powerful and piercing vocals, or in other words, an 80’s classic metal hymn released a few decades later, in 2020. And get ready for another metal storm led by Andy and Chris with their incendiary riffage in Runes of Rust, a Judas Priest-inspired hymn where Adam smashes his drums with tons of precision and groove, sounding as old school as it can be; while the sick bass lines by Greg generate a thunderous atmosphere perfect for the band’s guitar duo to pierce our ears with their riffs in The Gift, a beautiful fusion of the music by renowned Teutonic bands like Grave Digger, Running Wild and Accept, giving you all you need to bang your head like there’s no tomorrow.

Then phantasmagorical guitars à la Mercyful Fate are one of the main ingredients in Sacrifice to the Unseen, while Deborah continues to kick us in the head with her feminine and ferocious vocal lines, also bringing the most electrifying elements from classic Hard Rock to the overall result, followed by the even more metallic and inspiring Betrayer, reminding me of some of the best songs from Judas Priest’s 1978 classic album Killing Machine (or Hell Bent For Leather), with Deborah being simply fantastic on vocals accompanied by the NWOBHM-like riffs by Andy and Chris. And drinking from the same fountain as Iron Maiden in their instrumental classics “Losfer Words (Big ‘Orra)” and “Transylvania”, but of course with Deborah’s ass-kicking vocals embellishing the airwaves, we have The Champion, an epic Heavy Metal anthem filling our hearts with hope, fire and, of course, Heavy Metal.

It’s time to put the pedal to the (heavy) metal in the absolutely furious, high-octane tune entitled Transcend the Blade, this time a fully instrumental track with Andy and Chris spearheading their sonic onrush, firing beautiful riffs and solos for our total delight, whereas slowing things down a bit (while at the same time getting darker) the band offers us all the title-track The Vulture’s Amulet, a mid-tempo tune where Greg and Adam are ruthless with their thunderous bass and drums, respectively, with Deborah returning in full force declaiming the song’s stylish lyrics. and last but not least, the closing tune Vow of the Valkyrie is an exciting and flammable feast of old school riffs and solos, blast beats and the always killer vocals by Deborah, resulting in a true born-to-be-an-underground-metal-classic bringing forward an amazing guitar “duel” by Andy and Chris tailored for lovers of the seven-stringed ax.

In a nutshell, as already mentioned, The Vulture’s Amulet has everything one might ask for in traditional Heavy Metal, plus of course the mesmerizing touch added by Deborah with her she-wolf vocals, and if you want to show Lady Beast your true support you can buy the album directly from their BandCamp page, from the Reaper Metal Productions webstore (in both vinyl and cassette formats), from Apple Music or from Amazon, as well as stream it in full on YouTube and on Spotify. Also, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram and to subscribe to their YouTube channel, proving to Deborah and her henchmen you’re worth joining their metal den and with The Vulture’s Amulet being the perfect soundtrack for enjoying a cold beer deep down there together with those heavy music beasts.

Best moments of the album: Metal Machine, The Gift, Betrayer and Vow of the Valkyrie.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Reaper Metal Productions

Track listing
1. Metal Machine 3:15
2. Runes of Rust 4:26
3. The Gift 5:09
4. Sacrifice to the Unseen 5:09
5. Betrayer 3:29
6. The Champion 5:24
7. Transcend the Blade 3:42
8. The Vulture’s Amulet 5:14
9. Vow of the Valkyrie 5:03

Band members
Deborah Levine – vocals
Andy Ramage – lead guitar
Chris Tritschler – rhythm guitar
Greg Colaizzi – bass
Adam Ramage – drums