Iron Fire

To The Grave

Written by: EW on 13/01/2009 22:56:16

Sometimes an album deserves a review matching the quality contained within it, as noone would disagree a 10/10 classic is deserving of some explanation why. But what about an album that is so dull, so unoriginal, so painful in it's metal pretences that I as a weather-hardened metalhead feel physically sick listening to a song called "Kill For Metal" (as if I need to be told that)? Must I say anymore than "STAY CLEAR - HEALTH HAZARD"? Fuck, well here we go then.

"To The Grave" by Copenhagen's Iron Fire is a power/heavy metal album, presenting the same ideas established by the likes of Helloween and Dragonforce in the distant, and recent, past. There is nothing, I repeat nothing, interesting about how Iron Fire have utilised their influences to create their 5th album in a 14-year career that I simply cannot understand why they carry on nor why Napalm Records persist with the band. Being someone who can see past sugar-coated chorusses I realise this attempt at classic metal structuring is completely soulless and not built on foundations of pure heavy metal as they would have you believe, but smelly, soggy polystyrene. The band's line-up has been ever-changing around frontman and sole original member Martin Steene whose voice, whilst being hysterically non-descript, also doesn't hold a candle to the likes of Matt Barlow or Eric Adams. The same can be said of his band's musicians, producing riffs of indeterminable mediocrity that only serve to enhance the reputation in my mind of bands who can actually pull this style off. Hero-worship can be good when done with conviction but if was the route Iron Fire chose, I'm sorry but there is none of that I can detect.

Any reviewer who describes this as an exciting album doesn't know what he's talking about. For perfect illustration, listen to Usurper's own "Kill For Metal" from 2005's "Cryptobeast" and try telling me Iron Fire's music possesses any metal conviction. With only the album cover and the opening 30 seconds of "The Kingdom" to take note of, this album is for those whose hobbies include watching paint dry and doing the washing up.

2

Download: Please don’t!
For The Fans Of: Dragonforce, Helloween, Falconer
Listen: Myspace
Buy: iTunes

Release date: 09.01.09
Napalm Records

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