Iron Magazine is the moniker chosen to represent the collaborative efforts of Danko Jones and John Calabrese from Danko Jones, and Jussi Lehtisalo and Tomi Leppänen from Circle.I cannot directly compare IM's music with that of the parent groups because I only have a passing familiarity with Danko Jones and Circle.What I can hopefully provide is sufficient enticement to check out this new band, so let's get to it!
The title track opens up the proceedings and the listener is immediately taken back to the 1970s with a truly classic hard rock/metal sound.Then the synthesizer flourishes kick in and we're suddenly thrust forward through time to the 1980s.What we end up with is glorious old-school hard rock with a touch of glam and a bit of prog in the mix. "Queen Of Hell" will get stuck in your head whether you want it to or not, guaranteed."556" uses the NWOBHM as the base template for the song but again the keys add a digitized melodic sheen that help the track stand out."Foes To Fire" is a showcase for Danko Jones to display how well he can emulate Ozzy Osbourne. "Rise To Deth" brings more modern metal influences to the table, specifically usage of growled vocals to help accent certain passages.
Now I can imagine the question you're asking right now?Based off of my description, what makes Iron Magazine the 'confounding beast' I mentioned at the beginning of this review?Well, I can't comfortably put a label on them for starters.Also although I highly recommend you investigate this music waveriders, I can't escape the fact that I wasn't blown away when I first heard this band.It took a couple of days before the truly insidious nature of these tunes was revealed and I began involuntarily humming these songs at work.That being said...I now routinely find myself humming these songs at work.It's a fact!
Bottom line my friends?Put Iron Magazine on your radar and pick up their new Queen Of Hell EP on the 17th.Your ears will thank you.
-Penfold