Stephen
Entering 1989, Leatherwolf set the tone of their music to a mix of heavy metal and hard rock to adapt the musical climate change during the end of the 80s decade. I don't mind with that change, in fact, I love how Leatherwolf can sound wild and furious but melodic and accessible at the same time. 'Wicked Ways' and 'Black Knight' are two songs that still sway in their classic heavy metal veins, both are spectacular tracks and among my all time faves.
Two ballads here that supposed to fight their way to the radio and MTV are pretty average, good but not that great, with 'The Way I Feel' is better than 'Hideaway'. But apparently ballads aren't the strongest part of this album, so if you want to try the hard rock sides of Leatherwolf, 'Take A Chance', 'Thunder', and 'Too Much' are neat. 'Lonely Road' is another forgotten gem with a superb chorus, one of the better songs in this album.
The production is good, could have been better though. Many claim this to be their best album and I think I also agree with it. The 1987 self-titled album is perhaps the closest challenge and it's more metal than this, but 'Street Ready' won in many aspects and I highly recommended it for fans of melodic metal and 80s hard rock.