Lion Music
In 2005 DUSAN PETROSSI`S IRON MASK released this stomper, which is now re-released in a very limited run. The band consisted of Dusan on all guitars, iron lung vocalist Goetz “Valhalla Jr” Mohre, and Oliver Hartmann as a guest, keyboard wizard Richard Andersson, and the Russian rhythm section of Vassili Moltchanov on bass and Arnold Arkhipov on drums. What can this sound like then…
Well first up the sound is very ok. If you have ever heard a wild Swede by the name of YNGWIE MALMSTEEN you will feel at home most of the time. Second up I don´t get the use of a guest vocalist as Goetz does a prime job. But all in all this is perhaps to a large extent summed up by opener “Holy War”. The arch-neoclassic sound and guitar masturbation gets a stellar frame by Richard and the rhythm seems solid as a rock. If you do not like neoclassic metal, this might be as far as you muster to go. But there is more than meets the…ear. There is some whooaa refrains, a slight progressive touch, an atmospheric mid-pace bow to RONNIE JAMES DIO in the shape of “High in the Sky”, and the almost overworked historic reference to Alexander the Great, complete with some nicked passages from “Gates of Babylon”. But the most moments are neoclassical, some of the finest too. The lowest point may well be the power ballad “My Eternal Flame”. It is simply a bit stale and common, not least compared to the high-octane fretwork that is omnipresent in every other track. As stated above, this is not for the hater of classical music, the rest of us will play air guitar on at least five occasions…
Track List
Holy War
Freedom´s Blood – The Patriot
Time
The Invisible Empire
Demon´s Child
High in the Sky
Alexande the Great – Hordes of the Brave (Part 1)
Crystal Tears
Iced Wind of the North
My Eternal Flame
Troops of Avalon
www.lionmusic.com www.myspace.com/ironmaskmetal
