Pasadena, California band Holy Grail play traditional heavy metal with a modern sensibility. No gutteral vocals here… singer James Paul Luna is a soaring type of vocalist reminiscent of Bruce Dickenson, Rob Halford, Ronnie James Dio, or Jon Oliva. Additionally, the band features some of the most virtuoso guitar playing in the game today, courtesy of Eli Santana and Alex Lee, while bassist Blake Mount and Drummer Tyler Meahl lay down a thundering foundation beneath all of the acrobatics.

Check out the official music video below.

Formed in 2008 by former members of White Wizzard, the band has toured relentlessly with some of the most respected names in the business, and have issued two EPs and 2 absolutely awesome full lengths along the way. Today’s Massive Metal Monday pick is the title track from Holy Grail’s second album, 2013’s superb Ride the Void. If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to check out the band’s other releases, and keep an eye out for their third record. It is rumored to be titled The Time of Pride and Peril, and should be out later this year or early 2016.

When I was growing up in rural Indiana in the early ’80s, there was very limited access to heavy music. These were the days before MTV blew up with the whole hair metal, Headbangers Ball phenomenon. But on Sunday nights, there was a two-hour radio show that came from WOXY, just across the state line in Oxford, Ohio (home of Miami University of Ohio). It was called Massive Metal for the Masses, and I would wait all week for it to air. It was through this show that I was introduced to bands like Venom, Bathory, WASP, Michael Schenker Group, Slayer, and countless others. This Monday weekly column is my tip of the hat to that show. I call it Massive Metal Monday. Every week, I will pay tribute to defining moments by the artists that laid the groundwork for heavy metal to become the worldwide cultural bond for all of us metal heads.