Through the years, Saber Tiger has carved a great niche for itself by combining familiar elements to create something that sounds like them, and them alone. The surprisingly wide chords for what is essentially a traditional heavy metal band, the relatively low tunings for the style, the mildly proggy song structures and the occasionally bombastic vocal arrangements all create something that is uniquely Saber Tiger. ‘Eliminated’ is no different, though the songwriting is slightly more straightforward, and the move back to largely Japanese lyrics might influence the experience for some listeners. It’s still excellent contemporary metal, however.

Anyone who has followed Saber Tiger since their excellent 2011 comeback ‘Decisive‘ will know what to expect. The Japanese quintet still has a sound that manages to be contemporary, but appealing to old-schoolers at the same time. After all, the band has been around since 1981, and founding guitarist Akihito Kinoshita’s riffs were ahead of their time already back then. Sometimes, ‘Eliminated’ has a vibe that is somewhat reminiscent of 1998’s ‘Brain Drain’, especially the closing diptych of ‘Power of Silence’ and ‘Strike Back’. ‘Eliminated’ is far from a throwback record, though; it’s more like a different flavor added to an existing dish.

Performance-wise, everybody is at the top of their game here. The riffs and solos of Kinoshita and Yasuharu Tanaka are all over the place. While the solo sections feel slightly shorter than usual, they are no less impactful. Takenori Shimoyama’s rough-edged clean vocals are in 200 percent passion mode, while Yasuhiro Mizuno’s drums are an important part of why the energetic prog leanings work as well as they do. Meanwhile, hibiki is one of Japan’s most virtuosic bass players, but he also knows how to hold down the foundation, and he has a fantastic bass sound. Even when he gets the chance to shine, he keeps it tasteful and melodic.

My immediate favorite on ‘Eliminated’ was the supremely melodic ‘Azayaka na Kiseki’, which is an exercise in how to enhance a song by leaving space for each other. How ‘From the Past to Tomorrow’ evolves from its triumphant, borderline power metal intro to an intense, typical Saber Tiger song is quite brilliant as well. ‘Kodoku to Kiri no Kanata’ is particularly dynamic in how it combines open, quieter parts with dense, twisted riffs, and a huge chorus. ‘Malicious World’ and the delightfully uptempo ‘The Moonlight Shines’ are simply Saber Tiger doing what they do best.

It’s not common for heavy metal bands to age as well as Saber Tiger does, but everything they released after the slump they were in early this century ranges from good to excellent. In a way, ‘Eliminated’ had something to prove, given that it is Saber Tiger’s first album of all-original material in almost six years, but it does not disappoint. Anyone who enjoyed the band’s recent material will certainly enjoy ‘Eliminated’, though the band tweaked their formula enough for it not to be a simple exercise in repetition. If you like your metal heavy, yet inventive and melodic, ‘Eliminated’ is a must-hear.

Recommended tracks: ‘Azayaka na Kiseki’, ‘From the Past to Tomorrow’, ‘Strike Back’, ‘Malicious World’

Order ‘Eliminated’ from nearly anywhere in the world at CD Japan below