Out of the Rust and Ruin

The classic heavy metal revival is certainly popular in the early 2010’s. I’m not sure if it’s become more popular, or just becoming more mainstream, but bands like Holy Grail and White Wizzard have been enjoying more exposure in recent years, Ghost has become pretty damn big with their Sabbath-esque throwback metal, and bands Slough Feg (who have recently been signed to Metal Blade and had their second, third and fourth albums reissued) are finally starting to get more of the recognition they’ve long deserved. Metal may not be mainstream, but the scene seems to be getting bigger, and I think part of this may be due to some of these bands. While someone unfamiliar with metal might be intimidated by the music of bands like Cannibal Corpse or Gojira, the more traditional styles of Enforcer, Skull Fist and Wolf may be the kind of thing that gets the uninitiated more interested. I know that any time I hear people talk about metal as screaming and noise I tend to show them Iron Maiden or Dio, rather than Morbid Angel or Slayer.

To get to the point, Deadiron are a Cleveland band which certainly holds the potential to become a major player in the more traditional style heavy metal scene. While they don’t really come off as pure as some bands doing heavy metal revival, such as Holy Grail or White Wizzard, it definitely form the base of the music, which they then build upon with further influence. There is a clear thrash influence, which can be heard on much of the album, and might be the strongest influence after traditional heavy metal/NWOBHM. There is also some power metal, but not the kind that ventures into the “flower metal” territory of bands like Sonata Arctica or Stratovarius, who, despite my love for their work, aren’t the ballsiest of bands. This is closer to Walls of Jericho by Helloween. It’s melodic, but without sacrificing any of its aggression or edge. I suppose speed metal might be a more appropriate term, but this still doesn’t adequately describe the album. On the Line features, a song that feature some riffs which mirror the more epic side of metal, perhaps some power metal, or the Iron Maiden-ish side of NWOBHM, but also consists of some groove-metal moments, which I mean that in the best way possible, and doesn’t really fit the speed metal description. Hardcore punk also seems to be a major influence, especially on Unite. In some songs, such as Winter Has Come, I even feel some traces of melodic death metal. All of this adds to their own original sound, and separates them from the packs of heavy metal revival bands coming out right now.

As much as I love bands like Holy Grail and Enforcer, this just has more balls, especially thanks to lead singer Alexander Van Ness, who sings with a melodic semi-clean voice, with a kind of hardcore edge, and occasionally goes straight into the kind of yelling popularized by hardcore punk, but without it ever becoming too much. And the man is just full of energy, which carries over from the live setting and bleeds through onto the album. The band sings as a group in many points, from the simple HEY-HEY-HEY-HEYs of the punkier Revelation, to the vocal melodies in the more epic Under Midnight Stars.

The riffs and solos are fun and memorable. There are some very cool guitar harmonies, ala Iron Maiden and much of the modern heavy metal scene. The drumming is solid and there are some very fun beats in there. From the opening acoustic intro, the band shows that they are very capable musicians. However, for me, much of the fun comes from the melodies in the vocal delivery. The music stays all around heavy, catchy, and, for most of the album, fast.

As far as individual tracks, Unite is a great opening song to set the pace. I’ve once heard that you should put the best song at the end of the album, and the second best at the opening and Deadiron have certainly done that, in my opinion, although Under Midnight Stars did need a little growing. On The Line, Underdog and Captivity absolutely kick ass, and Legacy of Thunder is a great tribute to the legacy of all the groundbreaking punk and metal bands to come before and lay the groundwork for bands like Deadiron. No bullshit, no euphemisms, no hidden meanings, just pure sincerity about listening to and loving loud, fast, aggressive music.

As far as weak tracks, this is one of those albums that I can’t say there is anything I don’t like. This doesn’t make it a perfect album; it’s arguable if one even exists. In some places consistency may be a minor issue, this is still pure heavy metal, despite all of the other obvious influence, and doesn’t aspire to try for much more. Just to throw something out there, I’ve heard a song off the next album live; I believe called Whiskey on the Mound, which features a fantastic chorus which sounds almost inspired by the classic drinking songs, which I can’t wait to hear in the studio. A little more of these unexpected influences certainly wouldn’t hurt, as long as they don’t intrude on the metal vibe. But any complaints I have about the album are minimal, and just to prevent this from becoming a raving fangirl rant. All in all, it may be a little consistant, but that’s fine. Who the hell wants to listen to Dream Theater-esque progressive wanking all the time?

This album sort of bridges a gap between Iron Maiden’s Powerslave and Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All. They might be local now, but with any luck the heavy metal/bordering thrash style of Deadiron will gain a stronger following. This is a fantastic album to break into the metal scene with, and hopefully, they can only get better. If this is any indication of their future work, they deserve to be bigger, but I’m sure the underground scene will be happy to have them. Deadiron may not be setting out to re-invent the wheel, but there’s no need to when they deliver an album like this, which delivers one hell of a good time. This is a great debut that hopefully will attract more fans, and this is hopefully the beginning of a long, fantastic career for these guys.