By Monk
Over the course of the 40 years I have been working in the Northern Ireland music business, I can probably count the number of power metal bands who tickled my eardrums on the fingers of one hand, and still have a couple of digits to spare! With one perhaps very obvious exception, it is an area of the rock ‘n’ roll arena into which few gladiators have dared to step… Now, a decade after they last did so, a brave band of warriors have re-emerged from the darkness of hibernation into the light of the battle’s dawn, raised their swords high and issued a clarion call which demands to be heard – and answered.
Still built around the formative duo of vocalist/guitarist Stevie K and the phenomenal guitar talent that is Shaun Nelson, and now joined by the frontman’s son, Jackson, on bass duties, Iron Heart have come storming back into the arena with an album possessed of everything you expect, need and want not just from power metal, but from metal in its purest form as a whole… And that is a collection of songs rammed to the gills with rampaging riffs, massive melodies, soaring vocals, firestorm guitar solos, all delivered with sensibility, thoughtfulness and precise professionalism.
It has to be said that ‘Welcome To The Madness’ is a slightly darker, denser proposition than its predecessor. There’s still an ebullience, the energy and the excitement, but there’s also distinct marking of the passage of time between the two releases, especially in Stevie’s vocal delivery, which has distinctly dropped an octave or two. Don’t get me wrong, he can still hit those high notes (especially on the likes of ‘Never Kill The Soul’ and ‘We Are Legends’), but a good singer knows when to hold back and tone things down a notch or three, and Stevie certainly has done so, delivering a strong performance which showcases his voice without over-stretching it.
Shaun’s guitar work, meanwhile, is as sublime as ever: shredding when he needs to, holding back when he knows to, harmonizing and building layers of melody before letting rip and then easing off… All of this is backed up with ten well-crafted and precisely executed songs, all delivered with audible commitment and passion.
- ‘Welcome To The Madness‘ will be released on Friday (3 April).