IRON KINGDOM is a traditional sounding Heavy Metal band based out of British Columbia, Canada. Formed in 2011, this is the band's third full length album, and contains eight tracks. The opening instrumental, "On the Eve Of Battle," sets the tone for what is to come. It is very much akin to the NWOBHM bands that we came to enjoy in the late 70's and 80's. The first track with vocals is entitled "Leif Erikson," and is over seven minutes long. There are a lot of elements working in unison that provide the core sound of the song. Twin guitar harmonies are a must in this genre. Vocally, Chris wastes no time displaying his impressive vocal range. He has strong vibrato and is akin to the epic vocalists we have come to enjoy in traditional Heavy Metal. "Ride For Glory" is another mid-temp piece with a galloping rhythm and a hasty main guitar riff.

Accentuation points are frequent, giving the song a grand or epic feeling. "Lady Trieu And The Kingdom Of Wu" is similar in pace to earlier tracks but features a staccato guitar done in attack repetition. There is an ethereal interlude section that brings some nice fragility to the track and echoes the song title nicely. The guitar solo section is very fitting as well. "The Samurai" hears the pace quicken over a traditional guitar riff complete with the sound of a blade being unsheathed. The guitar solo sounds like Dave Murray on steroids. "Night Attack" is another lengthy piece near the seven minute mark. There is a long instrumental lead-in, followed again by high range vocals and twin guitar harmonies. "A Call To Arms" really reminds me of the early days of IRON MAIDEN, because of the bass lead-in, the chord progressions of the main riff and all of the harmonic guitar parts. It's really a well done instrumental. Closing the album is the song "The Veiled Knight." The pensive opening hints at some fury to come.

The main riff this time is very stalwart and gives the song an almost regal quality to it. I think it's safe to say that we are in the middle of a revival of traditional Heavy Metal, and IRON KINGDOM made a nice contribution to that here. My only real constructive criticism would be to vary some of the pacing in the songs, as too many mid-tempo numbers can sometimes blend together.