• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

July 2024

• Ironflame: Kingdom Torn Asunder
• Spektra: Hypnotized
• (Michael) Palace: Reckless Heart
• Mr. Big: Ten
• Dark Mile: Dark Mile

June 2024

• Kaipa: Sommargryningsljus
• Sunbomb: Light Up The Sky
• Seven Spires: A Fortress Called Home
• Atlantic: Another World
• Xeneris: Eternal Rising
• New Horizon: Conquerors
• Issa: Another World

May 2024

• Rhapsody Of Fire: Challenge The Wind
• Cloven Hoof: Heathen Cross
• Perseus: Into The Silence
• Yes: Talk (1994/2024) Reissue
• Marty Friedman: Drama
• Demon: Invincible
• The Treatment: Wake Up The Neighbourhood
• The Tangent: To Follow Polaris
• Riot V: Mean Streets
• Anette Olzon: Rapture
• FM: Old Habits Die Hard

April 2024

• War Grave: War Grave EP
• Six By Six: Beyond Shadowland
• Vanden Plas: The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
• Praying Mantis: Defiance
• King Zebra: Between The Shadows
• About Us: Take A Piece
• Blue Oyster Cult: Ghost Stories

March 2024

• Cruzh: The Jungle Revolution
• Whom Gods Destroy: Insanium
• The Prog Collective: Dark Encounters
• Lords Of Black: Mechanics Of Predacity
• Lipz: Changing The Melody
• The End Machine: The Quantum Phase
• Stargate: Escaping The Illusion
• Turbulence: Binary Dream
• Sonata Arctica: Clear Cold Beyond
• D'Luna: Monster
• Big Big Train: The Likes Of Us
• Benjamin Croft: We Are Here To Help

February 2024

• Traveler: Prequel To Madness
• Lionheart: The Grace Of A Dragonfly
• Honeymoon Suite: Alive
• Durbin: Screaming Steel
• Smoking Snakes: Danger Zone
• Revolution Saints: Against The Winds
• Striker: Ultrapower
• Show N Tell: The Ritual Has Begun
• Robert Hart: Circus Life

[ More Music Reviews ]

Iron Mask: Black As Death

Melodic Heavy/Power Metal

4.5/5.0

Website Facebook
AFM Records
by Craig Hartranft,  02.13.2012

There's nothing subtle about a new Iron Mask album. If you want 'true' metal, with epic power and melody in the arrangements, and driven by neo-classical guitar, then the fourth project by Belgium guitarist Dushan Petrossi is your thing.

Above, Iron Mask: somebody needs to get the band some beers.

There, I've basically defined the essence of this album. While a platform for Petrossi's Yngwie-style fret work, Iron Mask isn't solely about him. The songs, as expected, are well-rounded with singular strength of combining notable melody with heaviness, power and, sometimes, speed. Toss in the excellent rhythm section, touch of keyboards, and impressive vocals of Marc Boals (Malmsteen, Royal Hunt, Ring of Fire, et al), a natural voice for this genre, and you have an impressive outing.

There's a good breadth of heavy metal. There's the more speedy power metal of Feel the Fire and Blizzard of Doom to more traditional heavy metal like Black as Death or Genghis Khan. That last song, as does God Punishes I Kill, offers some large choral vocal arrangements (thanks to Oliver Hartmann), a very eloquent touch. Then there's the very catchy melodic metal of Broken Hero or Evil Strikes in Silence. A more subtle, tempered, piece comes in the metal ballad Magic Sky Kingdom which features Goran Edman (also Malmsteen, Brazen Abbot, Vindictiv, Time Requiem, et al).

As with previous albums, on Black As Death, Dushan Petrossi and Iron Mask deliver strong, entertaining and, frankly some of the better melodic power metal going these days.

More Ways to Share This Review

As with previous albums, on Black As Death, Dushan Petrossi and Iron Mask deliver strong, entertaining and, frankly some of the better melodic power metal going these days.

Alphabetical Index

We have to dig deep, three decades, to find the origins of Atlantic, a project of songwriter, musician, and producer Simon Harrison (then Stranger, Wisht). Initially thought to be a one-off recording, Harrison ... [ Read More ]