The New Wave of British Heavy Metal deserves a locally designated acronym thanks to Ignitor. On sixth LP since 2004, teas’n, pleas’n Dangerous Toys frontman Jason McMaster (Broken Teeth, Watchtower) leads this five-headed Valkyrie as if King Diamond resided in Dallas. Priest (“To Brave the War”), shades of early Def Leppard (“Heavy Is the Head That Wears the Crown”), and Paul Di’Anno-era Maiden (“No Sanctuary”) all get Haunted. Raven cover “Hung, Drawn, and Quartered” turns in a teeming pit pounder. NWOATXM.

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This article appears in February 2 • 2018.

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San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.