IRON SAVIOR – Rise of the Hero
- by Matt Coe
- Posted on 09-04-2014
The sci-fi power metal band Iron Savior returns for their eighth full length studio album in "Rise of the Hero". For guitarist/ vocalist Piet Sielck, his heart remains steadfast for the traditional elements that make the genre so revered. There’s a certain mechanized production style, guitar tone, vocal inflections, and double bass work from drummer Thomas Nack that you can hear immediately on "Last Hero" all the way to the final headbanging moments of the closing anthem "Fistraiser".
Does this mean the quartet doesn’t think outside of the box? Well, the odd ball choice of cover takes place through track nine "Dance with Somebody" – a Mando Diao original which wasn’t a big hit stateside but apparently made the charts in Europe. It’s an alternative meets dance rock cut – given the Iron Savior treatment where Piet gets the chance to display more of a confident verse melody, but one that I don’t know if will gain full appreciation from the metal faithful.
Ultimately, blistering cuts such as "Thunder from the Mountains" and "Firestorm" wield the most power – the riffs slicing through the aural landscape and the multi-part harmonies during the choruses going hand in hand with the dual lead licks to promote maximum energetic exchange between the band and its listeners. And you expect a couple of highway styled anthems in the Judas Priest/ Accept mold, of which "Revenge of the Bride" and "Iron Warrior" leave you battered and bruised for the better. I also can’t forget the slow building number "The Demon" – something I would expect from Dio in the "Holy Diver" days and finds Piet reaching higher vocal echelon territory.
The long-standing Iron Savior fan will not leave disappointed – and hopefully "Rise of the Hero" gains momentum for the younger generation of metal maniacs as well. Heed the words of the closer "Fistraiser"- ‘heavy metal is a chosen way to be’.