Iron Angel - Emerald Eyes (2020)

It's got to be difficult when you're responsible for a great cult record like 1985's Hellish Crossfire and then for over 30 years that same lightning just doesn't strike again. Granted, Germany's Iron Angel wasn't present for half of that time, but despite never putting out a bad full-length, they don't seem to have taken the metal world by storm the way that they had been poised to back in that fabled 80s era. Hellbound from a couple years ago showed a lot of promise, and I listened to that for a few months, but it was soon drowned out in the usual deluge of other bands putting their own stamp on the veterans' sounds, a pool that continues to spill ever outward as the younger generations of metal fanatics tap into those old veins and evade the glossier tech and bore-core of modernity.

Emerald Eyes is an attractive looking new album, and there is no question that the band's energy has not at all been sapped through all the years, with Dirk taking the helm over his younger cast of bandmates and unleashing an admirable and authentically-German sounding blend of power/thrash metal which is as loyal to Hellish Crossfire and Winds of War as you'd hope, but dialed up to current standards with a mix that sounds fresher but never artificial. I'd say the album sounds like a happy medium between Running Wild and Destruction; you've got a lot of those pounding, pumping heavy metal rhythms carrying a bunch of the tunes, and Dirk's voice actually reminds me a lot of Rolf Kasparek here, especially with the reverb that carries his bark out over the charging instruments and the airy backup vocals. And on the other hand, they slice up a few more clinical thrash riffs and toss them in there to keep it interesting and just a bit bloodier than you might expect. I was impressed by the sheer velocity of the track-list, I think this thing goes about six tracks before ever really slowing down, with tunes like "Sacred Slaughter", "Descend" and "What We're Living For" being some of my faves that they've written since the debut!

When it does finally reach that more measured pace, it's still a neck-strainer packed with riffs and charisma that will charm the leather off all the most die-hard 80s enthusiasts. Chances are, if you've got a wall full of records from the back catalogues of Noise, Roadracer and Steamhammer then this one is going to jerk upon the heartstrings or your nostalgia until you may require defibrillation. Good leads, solid drumming, a nice production that channels the age of its style, and a largely fast and furious selection of tracks that make me feel like I'm twelve old all over again, scrounging around with lunch and paper route money for whatever . No, Emerald Eyes doesn't contain a selection of timeless tracks that are likely to weather the next 35 years, but it's about as good as you'd expect for a reunion era band that never quite hit the level of the major German power metal or Big Four thrash acts, and I'd say this one overall nudges past Hellbound a little in quality, making it the best Iron Angel since "The Metallian" years. Iron Angel is STILL worth our time, ladies and gentlemen. Support!

Verdict: Win [8/10]

https://www.facebook.com/IronAngel.hh

Iron Angel - Hellbound (2018)

Hellish Crossfire was such a sizzler of a second tier speed/thrash album out of Germany, that all Iron Angel's future steps towards a milder sound were bound to end up in disappointment. To their credit, Winds of War was still a solid offering, just lacking the infernal glee of its predecessor, and in the 30 and change years since that was dropped, with only a handful of compilations and a bad demo in the interim, I admit that I did not ever seriously expect that I'd encounter new Iron Angel studio material again, nor was I even particularly interested. The debut has remained a staple in my rotation ever since, especially when I'm looking for a backup to the better known Teutonic thrashers. Well. I was dead fucking wrong, and to an extent I am happy to have been, because Hellbound, while not about to supplant the cult classic debut in any category, is a very competent attempt to get back to the basics and shove some metal straight up your nethers.

Yes, the way this one works is how it shoots for not only old school riffing structures and vicious, lived in, authentic German speed metal vocals courtesy of Mr. Dirk, but how the production on the album really matches those things and sends you back, without being too blatantly retro. The guitars sound very organic, without being overbearingly saturated, and even though they're mostly playing the sorts of riffs we've heard from this sub-genre for like 40 years, they're absolutely timeless in these players' hands, even more impressive because both of these dudes, Robert Altenbach and Mischi Meyer, are new to the band for this freaking album! The rhythm section here is definitely playing at a power metal level, with thundering kick drums and arguably more energy than back in '85, a firm presence to the bass even though it kind of seems subservient to the other instruments. The riffs here are almost all pretty pure heavy/power metal, but they don't sound overbright or overpolished, so it more resembles the Priest-laced power that was emerging in the 80s rather than the bubblegum stuff like Dragonforce, and within that realm they've got a diversified riff set that makes for a well rounded effort, from the killer "Judgement Day" to the warlike setup of "Carnivore Flashmob" (what a title!).

Dirk Schröder sounds pretty amazing, I mean he's a lot less rough around the edges than he was on the mighty "Metallian", but still has a nasty edge to his voice when he wants, and he's easily the highlight of the record. Some of the backing gang shouts hit, others miss, but overall the verses and chorus lines are very well put together, and when the bands gets to its most dirty and speed metal in cuts like "Blood and Leather" or "Ministry of Metal", it's pretty awesome. Honestly this one falls in between a Hellish Crossfire and a Screaming for Vengeance, or rather a cruder Painkiller. If that sounds like what you'd like to hear from an Iron Angel comeback then you're in for a treat. Not perfect by any means, but seasoned and fearless, certainly a step above their sophomore in '86, and enough to forgive the lackluster attempts at new material since that point. It also looks a little bland, the cover art choice was a safe one if you've seen their first two records, but who cares when I can crank this on the car stereo, lower the windows and feel like I'm 16 again, just got my license, my hand-me-down jalopy and can maybe, just maybe imagine that I'm cool enough that a girl might talk to me.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10]

https://www.facebook.com/IronAngel.hh

Iron Angel - Back from Hell [DEMO] (2007)

When I first set out to write up a massive chronology of German thrash reviews, covering one of my favorite all time scenes in metal, I had determined that I would not incorporate demos unless they were part of an official compilation release, or added bonuses to studio or live albums. Not that demos aren't important, mind you, it's just that I wouldn't have the time to include them all. I've decided to make an exception in the case of Iron Angel's Back from Hell, because it's the final release the band would conjure before disappearing back into the dust of time, unable to fully rekindle the fires they intended with their 21st century revival.

The intention here was to assemble a new lineup with original members Dirk Schröder (vocals) and Mike Mattes (everything else) at the helm, and lay out some new studio material that would garner some excitement for a comeback. The band have sadly not followed in their 80s footsteps, and I found that the vocals were just not as charming. Dirk's mid-range is not wholly different, but his pipes are no longer so acidic as they once were on Hellish Crossfire or Winds of War, and they try to compensate with more gang shouts and a more street level, 'tough' vocal style ("Puppet on a String"). What's worse is when the riffs follow, like the meaty, simple groove/thrash of "Back from Hell", which has an awful Pantera-style breakdown that made me cringe. "Sanatorium" is even worse, starting with a big groove and bluesy guitar solo that really do not sound like what we want to hear from Iron Angel. "Unbreakable" has a pretty cool intro of synthesizers and samples, but then it too channels a similar groove hooked thrash metal with some Southern trendkill influence.

I think it's sad that the epic intro "The Awakening" is probably the best solitary track on this demo release, and then it all falls apart. Where I had hoped to hear a renewed aggression of blinding, vicious speed circa "The Metallian", "Hunter in Chains", or "Sinner 666", but times change, and for Iron Angel, they change to a mediocre mash up of 90s groove-inflected thrash ala Texans Pantera. I guess in the end, though its sad not to have a once promising band like this around spitting lightning and hell breath, if this is the direction they were to explore, then it's not such a terrible crime that they'd inevitably dissolve once more. But at least we can clutch their great 1985 debut to our bosoms and remember with fondness the fires they once lit under the asses of the firmament.

Verdict: Fail [3.25/10]

http://www.iron-angel.com/

Iron Angel - Rush of Power (2004)

Rush of Power is the second of Iron Angel's reunion compilations, released a year after The Tapes, and it collects more of the band's 80s live material, and their 1984 Legions of Evil into one package. Unlike the live material from the previous comp, this is from the Warpke festival in 1985, and heavily stresses material from their Hellish Crossfire debut, include "The Metallian" which was omitted from the other release. The exception is "Devil's Gate", a tune from their demo days. The quality of sound recorded from this performance is not necessarily an equal to The Tapes, so mileage really varies here. It's a rough ride, but the fact that it incorporates the earlier material might tip the hand of some collectors.

As for the Legions of Evil demo itself, it's incredibly rough around the edges, too rough to really enjoy by today's standards, and thus it's once again the province of those that simply want to own everything that the band has released on audio. All of the tracks were re-recorded for the debut album, and all of them sound exponentially better there than they do on this, so it's not really much of a value. Hearing "The Metallian" or "Rush of Power" is this context is frankly quite trying. In the end, anal retentive purists will probably seek both compilations if they can find them, but I have to give a slight favor to The Tapes, if only because the quality of the live audio makes for a better nostalgic experience. But the best way to experience this band's material is simply to purchase their full-lengths and avoid both of these. These were assume to serve as a preamble to the band's relaunching, but such plans have since dissolved as the band were unable to assemble an acceptable lineup for future touring and recording.

Verdict: Indifference [5.5/10]

http://www.iron-angel.com/

Iron Angel - The Tapes (2003)

Iron Angel was a largely forgotten band by the 21st century, outside of the lost underground worshiping internet circles, but for a while they actually reformed and had planned on playing live and putting out new material. This ultimately fell apart, since the band never got a steady lineup, but as a possibly positive result, the new interest got a pair of compilations released that included live and demo tracks which might not have been in the possession of those with the original cassettes and LPs. Of course, if you had the CD re-issues of Hellish Crossfire or Winds or War, then you'd already be familiar with the Power Metal Attack demo, and the Legions of Evil demo from 1984 is included on one of two versions of The Tapes (but not the one I'm reviewing here).

This is instead the Brazilian version through Marquee which includes 11 live tracks and then a pair of unreleased recordings from 1985. Both of the sets are from Germany, with the later (1986 from a tour with King Diamond) coming first on the disc. Considering the time period, they sound incredibly fun and raw, especially Dirk's vocals, but we've got a pretty lopsided mix from both of their studio albums: "Metal Storm", "Son of a Bitch", "Fight For Your Life", "Vicious", "Sea of Flames" and "Creatures of Destruction" heavily favor Winds of War, with "Son of a Bitch" appearing twice. From Hellish Crossfire, there are only a few cuts, "Wife of the Devil" , "Legions of Evil" and "Nightmare". That's right, no "The Metallian", nor any of the other classics that defined their better debut. While this makes me want to riot, I'll admit that what they do include at least sounds well despite the aging, and there's no reason an ardent fan of mid-80s German speed/thrash wouldn't find something to enjoy.

The untitled studio cuts, on the other hand, are not all that special, pretty much rehearsals. They both have a huge Judas Priest influence, especially the first, but the second at least has some Metallica in there circa Kill 'Em All. A nice perk, perhaps, but not as impressive as the live offerings. I guess overall one should treat this like the Iron Angel live album they never got the chance to make in their original run, but I'd also point out that the band's next compilation, Rush of Power (2004) has a better, extended offering from one of the same sets, that includes the fucking "Metallian"! So, what I'm saying, is that while that might lack the 1986 lives that sound good here, you may want to pass on this and hand your cash over for that. But, as it's unlikely that any but the most driven collector will be the market for either release, I'm not sure that such caution is warranted. If you're new to this German cult legend, then spend your money on Hellish Crossfire instead. It's awesome, you won't regret it; and if you do, well, roll up your sleeves and meet me in the parking lot.

Verdict: Indifference [6/10]

http://www.iron-angel.com/

Iron Angel - Winds of War (1986)

It can often seem a gray area to what distinguishes 'speed' and 'thrash' or 'speed' and 'power' metal, especially when the definitions shift through both time and several entirely new listener bases of the genres, but I do feel like Iron Angel's sophomore Winds of War drifts away from the impeccable speed/thrash momentum of their great debut Hellish Crossfire, and too often veers into the standard hard rocking, traditional metal territory. There were always hints of this on the debut, but they're in full force on about half the tracks here, and the harder hitting material has become rare. Ah well, what can you expect when you've gone from clashes with demonic angels to a well endowed cloud goddess super-charging a sword wielding hesher with lightning?

"Metalstorm", the tune that directly follows the marching, narrated title track intro does try and fool us into thinking it might be something special, like "The Metallian". The explosive, rapid melodic guitars sound like a precursor to Riot's "Thundersteel", and Dirk Schröder's vocals shift through a lower Kai Hansen tone to wailing heights, but match up to the riffs with no shortage of aggression. But all too much of the album is your standard Accept or NWOBHM-derived fare like "Son of a Bitch", "Born to Rock", nothing offensive or poorly written, but you wonder why such blazers as "Creatures of Destruction" or "Stronger Than Steel" weren't shoved to the fore, or even the great power metal leanings of "Sea of Flames". I often found Schröder's screams to be annoying here, but his lower pitch is just as nasal and acidic as the debut, sure to send fans of Walls of Jericho or the Helloween EP into fits of ecstasy.

Winds of War is still a good album, with a number of catchy tracks that evoke the blessed bullet hail of classic German steel (I don't know how I could have grown up without that), but its forced 'phasing' technique is a distraction. It shifts from 'We're the band that wrote The Metallian' to 'We just want to fit in', and back again, where the former is clearly the Iron Angel we all want to hear. It almost comes off as frustrated, and I would be too, since the debut saw nowhere near the level of attention it should have. I've got no problem at the genetic level with the stock rock the band are trying to shell out, but it'd been done far better already and I wanted my head sheared off by the seraphic violence I was anticipating. Mileage may vary for those of you who actually prefer the slower paced, traditional burn, but either way, the gas tank is not full on this one, which sadly is their last full-length studio effort (to date).

Verdict: Win [7.25/10]

http://www.iron-angel.com/

Iron Angel - Hellish Crossfire (1985)

Though the album had been licensed and released in North America, Hellish Crossfire was one I had a hard time tracking down when I was a youth and getting heavily into the German thrash sound. The best I could do was a tape trading with some of their demos on a blank, but I finally got my hands on the Iron Angel debut a few years after its release, when I was in high school, and needless to say I was very impressed. I had seen the band's name mentioned in a number of articles, interviews, thanks lists, and so forth, and figured them to be some lost messiah of the genre, and while they're not deserving of quite that level of praise, this was a damn fine debut which occupied a curious niche between the more straight up power and speed metal sounds of Avenger (pre-Rage), Running Wild, Accept and Grave Digger, and the more aggressive thrashing pioneers Metallica, Artillery and Destruction.

Sound excellent? Well, in execution, it is. "The Metallian" has long been the star of this debut, and the band's career, and you won't get much of an argument from me. The blazing, thick rhythm guitars and the echoing, pinched tone of Dirk Schröder's vocals as he sails into the predictable but unforgettable chorus are impressive, and that riff that comes in directly after the chorus? Wonderful. But that's not the only gem here, and tracks like "Sinner 666", "Hunter in Chains", and "Legions of Evil" all remind me so much of what I loved about early Rage, Grave Digger and Running Wild, that impulsive steel rocking tone dowsed in reverb, sharp hooks digging their way well beneath your skin as they strike veins of blood and silver. "Wife of the Devil", "Heavy Metal Soldier" and "The Church of Lost Souls" all spit forth ruthless German speed and Schröder's delightful, playful torment shifting between nasal mid range to higher, manic shrieking. A few tunes like "Nightmare" do get left behind in the dust, but as a whole, there's a good 35 minutes here of razor bliss.

Hellish Crossfire would unfortunately not share the same fate as Destruction, Rage, Kreator or Sodom, and after one more full-length, which adopted a heavier use of the non-thrash elements, the band would fold, only to reappear through compilations and a brief reunion in the 21st century. It's a shame, because this debut is easily the measure of most German bands' early works, and the potential was through the roof here. I've heard delusional ranting that Dirk's vocals are an obstacle to appreciating the band, but I'm heavily inclined to disagree. Unlike the early Living Death albums (Thorsten Bergmann presiding), Schröder uses his eccentricity as a weapon, a vorpal sword that cuts straight through the riffing to your memory, and I've never once felt annoyed by him. Iron Angel isn't perfect, but if you're a fan of any of the prototypical German thrash or power metal (Helloween, Scanner, Rage), you owe it to yourself to invest in one of the undisputed mid-80s speed metal sleeper hits.

Verdict: Win [8.75/10] (in the rush of power)

http://www.iron-angel.com/