Its been a decade since Christian Mistress released 2015s To Your Death but the groups intermingling of hard rock and classic metal picks up right where they left off. One can hear experience setting in on Children Of The Earth but their musicianship is as spry as ever between a vibrant production job, consistently enthusiastic guitars, and driving rhythms. Part of me still wishes the vocals had a bit more power behind them, especially when compared to the numerous similarly styled bands that reached prominence while they were away, but they also boast a distinct character that comes off like Patti Smith fronting Thin Lizzy.

The strong songwriting also works in the albums favor, benefitting from the bands snappiest runtime since 2010s Agony and Opium as well as lyrics propelling a mix of determined empowerment and social commentary. Lead single Mythmaker is a mid-tempo rocker that rides an especially groovy strut but I also enjoy how Voiceless, Demons Night, and Love Of The World work up to it with a relentless flow of upbeat strides and sing-along choruses. The jovial trot on Lake Of Memory is especially indicative of their Lizzy influence.

This sort of thing may not be a competition but in an era where female-fronted classic metal outfits have gotten to be more prominent, its pretty great to see Christian Mistress return and hold their own with Children Of The Earth. While there are a couple spots where I wish they had a bit more oomph behind them, a grounded no-nonsense attitude ultimately makes it work along with the lean writing. Longtime fans are sure to enjoy the welcome back and those unfamiliar with the Mistress can consider this a great starting point.