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

Iron Griffin’s first album, 2019’s Curse of The Sky, could be described as an excellent album hindered by its confines. The organic musicianship was promising but unbalanced with an incredibly talented vocalist completely overpowering the somewhat muffled guitars and stilted rhythms. The songwriting was great, but a half-hour runtime made the overall presentation feel a little rushed at times. Thankfully their sophomore outing, Storm of Magic, sees some finetuning though going about it in a noticeably different way.

While Curse of the Sky was shaped by an epic medieval atmosphere, Storm of Magic sees the band completely immersing themselves in it. The individual songs feel more methodically structured, making for a more cohesive overall length, and there’s considerable time allotted to lighter instrumentation. The opening “Lady of Space and Time” and the title track both feature extended dungeon synth-esque sequences while “The Witch and the King” commits to acoustic-driven minstrelsy. The band’s long-running Manilla Road inspiration draws more from their spacey early work here with some Ashbury thrown in for good measure.

Thankfully this adjustment keeps the heavier components from feeling restricted and even allows them to stand out in a more balanced, dynamic fashion. The vocals are still the band’s most commanding aspect, but a better mix allows the powerful performance to accentuate the instrumentation rather than have her shine at its expense. “Unholy Epistle” is a particular standout with its beefy mid-tempo riff set steering more toward Witchcraft territory, especially with that mysterious mellotron while “Goddess of the Moor” puts it in the most work to assert its contrasts.

Of course, there are still a couple minor nitpicks that come with this progress. This may be a softer sounding album, but the production may be a little too quiet for its own good, making for the sort of album that you’ll have to account for volume adjustments before and after listening. The title track is also a doozy as its sixteen-minute length takes up nearly half the album’s duration but considering its multi-part suite structure, it’s a fun if a little doomy throwback to old school prog epics ala classic Rush.

Overall, Iron Griffin successfully shows off another side of their epic metal approach with Storm of Magic. The adjustment to a more laid-back style works greatly in the band’s favor as their previously established dynamic feels considerably more at home here than before. The atmosphere also feels more potent and even the unpolished aspects do more to give it character than cripple it. A compilation of the two albums’ best songs with boosted production would be one of the greatest 21st century albums in epic metal, but Iron Griffin always has something interesting to offer.