Let me start by giving a little background about IRON BONES; they hail from El Tambo, O'Higgins, Chile and they say they play Heavy Speed Roll, as they have done since 2018. They released two studio albums before now ("Electric Sacrifice" in 2019 and "Till The Hammer…" in 2021) and three EP's ("Black Worship" in 2019, "Cryptid Saint" in 2020 and "Decibel Warrior" in 2024), but this third album "Poison Rat" is my first time listening to their kind of Heavy music. I guess you could call them Speedrock with MOTÖRHEAD tendencies. That is as close as I get, although I have to admit that the voice of Dboner does sound very familiar. For the oldies under the readers of METAL TEMPLE articles; do you remember the TYGERS OF PAN TANG debut album "Wild Cat"? well, the voices as well as the intonations and emphasises sound very much the same as how Jess Cox was erupting them back then. And you know what, it does fit the music.

Like I mentioned, IRON BONES feel that they play Heavy Speed Roll, and that is also the way that the music is constructed. Simple, as straight as an arrow whilst taking no prisoners along the way. What that does is give "Poison Rat" very much a Punk attitude. That might mean that you will get to hear a lot that at the one hand sounds familiar, whilst on the other hand you will register that you are listening to something new. Or at least not heard before. And even though there are only three people making all the noises, it never sounds too open or open. Nope, every square inch of available sound space is being used, is being filled to the brim.

Is "Poison Rat" a good album? Yes, it is. If you are one of those that likes their PETER PAN SPEEDROCK, MOTÖRHEAD or even DANKO JONES, you will probably lap all of the 38:35 minutes like some life-saving juice. And you'd be right to do so. Is it exceptional or excellent? Well, not for me. I do like what IRON BONES does, but this is not the kind of music I would purposely listen to at home. At the same time I wouldn't walk away when someone else does, as I do like the simple but very effective tunes that are on "Poison Rat". And at the moment that is more than enough for me.