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IRONFLAME “Worlds to Conquer”
IRONFLAME “Worlds to Conquer”
By Bob Burner
There are albums that are easy on the ears which are filled with quick catchy songs that after a few listens you grow tired of. Then there are albums that take a few listens to really grab you and make you delve deeper into them and find all the cool things buried in them. Traditional metal band IRONFLAME are back with their sixth full length album…which path did they take? I remember first hearing them when putting together the first year of the Legions of Metal festival and we only heard one song and booked them asap. We knew they had something special and now ten years later they are still pumping out great music.
The band has really grown and evolved with this new album into something more than your average run of the mill traditional metal act. This new album has eight songs with tons of variety and power. Kicking it off is “Night Closes In” which hooks you in on first listen with the classic IRONFLAME sound. Andrew D’Cagna’s vocals really bring this album to life for me. He is one of the most under rated singers in metal today. He has such a smooth powerful unique voice and brings a great layer to the music. This first song really is a great example of what the band is and what to expect with the rest of the album. This song is full of pumping energy and catchy riffs. If you needed a song to show a new fan what this band is capable of, this is the song to show them.
The rest of the album really pulls you in and while it is never over the top or blazing with speed, there are a lot of interesting things happening. The songs never blend together to where you forget where you are on the album. There are a load of great melodies that you will never get bored of. “Crimson Shores” and “Valhalla is Calling” really stand out as some of the stronger songs on this. Each bringing something different but still within the framework of the band. “Crimson…” is more of an upbeat catchy song while “Valhalla…” is more of a brooding song surging with epic power with its slow build ups. IRONFLAME really shows that as a band you can have a vast difference in song styles but keep it all within the sound without changing it.
Overall this is a keeper and one I recommend to any fan of traditional metal or classic metal. While they are not rewriting the way metal is done, they do bring a different edge and flair to it making it their own and not sounding like any other bands. This album is tight and packs a punch and I am glad we have this hidden treasure existing today in a world of over saturation in the scene. While the album is complex, it is not proggy or dull. It is crazy to think the band has been around for ten years now but like a fine wine they keep getting better with age. Go out and pick this up and you will not regret it. Let IRONFLAME conquer your world.
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