Storm of Magic

Finland’s epic traditional heavy metallers Iron Griffin are back with a new, totally DIY 2nd album. Hopefully their new venture proves as high in quality as the album and EP that preceded it.

Tranquil synths start the album out with a fantasy sort of soundtrack that gives the impression of an epic adventure ahead. Crunchy guitars add further melancholy and folkiness to the overall doomy, bardic and medieval feeling of the music which is met by ethereal vocals before massive walls of riffs and crashing drums fire into life. There is a certain rawness which leaves the music free of damning compression, giving plentiful breathing room for the fuzzy and warm tones that are conveyed in a manner Cirith Ungol and Pagan Altar would be proud of. Often folk music can be thought of as very upbeat, but Iron Griffin add the more funereal side of this as a profoundly haunting influence upon their unique heavy metal conquest. The production is really chunky and presents the bass lines as an unshaken foundation for the riffs to serpentine around along with the majestic vocals while the drums and synths take more of a backseat (in no means unimportant, but never overshadowing the rhythmic prowess of the music). The DIY approach is obvious and has a charming authenticity to it that sees the epic nature of the music is still presented in a worthy manner.

There is a gorgeous blend of heavy metal, doom metal, folk music and prog-rock to be heard in this splendid arrangement of atmospheric and yet straight-forward music. The subtleties are all there for those with keen ears yet there never seems to be a veil of pretentiousness or anything pointless just put in for the sake of it. As the songs progress, the urgency of the venture seems to grow, much like an ancient tale of heroism and braving defeat only to triumph later. Along with their striking and unique aesthetic (which is shared upon all their album covers), the music weaves a tapestry of tales that is easy to become lost in, which is something epic heavy metal really has to achieve for me. Though it might not be quite as intense as previous works in sheer heaviness, it does not lack pure metallic might either, just with a lot of the more light touches taking a more consistent role in the songs. Retaining a charming simplicity that is evocative and played with a passionate and graceful performance by the duo, there is no denying their legitimacy as artists. While the roughness around the edges may push some potential fans away, equally it may usher in others. The way in which the record ebbs and flows makes for an exciting and unpredictable listen that culminates in a truly epic 15 minute opus.

A really strong and varied album, that does not overstay its welcome yet introduces a huge amount of diversity to the blend of Iron Griffin’s sound. A few inconsistencies are unavoidable when mixing quite different elements, but I think overall they did a really fantastic job of making this a memorable and enjoyable piece of heavy metal fantasy.

Written for www.nattskog.wordpress.com