Napalm/Sound Pollution
2010 marked the tenth anniversary of Danish band IRON FIRE. Now the band returns with their seventh full-length album to date, and apparently a steady lineup, which has not always been the case. Band leader and vocalist Martin Steene is the only remaining original member. This new album is said to be filled to the brim with genuine riffs, heavy drums and appealing melodies. Faith and conviction seem to be key words, well, convince me!
The nonplussed intro “The Dark Beyond” that opens the proceedings is not a sign of grandeur. Neither is the sampled vocal experiment “Enter Oblivion OJ-666”. What is this? The third effort, “Taken” raises the bar, and the keys are tastefully used. Fortunately for IRON FIRE they move into a good spell starting with “Slaughter of Souls” and the next three tracks. I have no recollections of an ambitious attempt at long lasting epic metal from this lot in the past, so the title track is a new path. They pass but the song is not quite strong enough to last over ten minutes. The voice of Martin seems flexible enough, everything from high-pitched to growl light is on offer here. I prefer his more melodic features though. “Verge to Collide” is another mid-paced highlight with some nice keyboard patterns and a great refrain. Most of the stuff here is more than average, but only slightly in some cases. I believe the band is trying to alter their soundscape a bit, some works well, some less well. They stick to their melodic roots though, with only some background vocals and minor song parts bordering on growl. Their melodies remain of cause, but prepare for slight changes. This is not a strong 4/5 review and took some time deciding on.
Track List
The Dark Beyond
Enter Oblivion OJ-666
Taken
Slaughter of Souls
Leviathan
The Final Odyssey
Ten Years in Space
Voyage of the Damned
With Different Eyes
Dreams of the Dead Moon
Verge to Collide
Realm of Madness
Warmaster of Chaos
www.napalmrecords.com www.myspace.com/officialironfire
