Titancraft
Iron Savior
•
June 6, 2016
IRON SAVIOR are the kings of German Power Metal, fusing strong melodic vocals with a sci-fi story about the titular IRON SAVIOR spacecraft, before slowly seeding the story through songs spread across their albums. The intro track, "Under Siege", sets the tone with an alien voice sending out a distress signal while wailing guitars and high-energy drum beats get you pumped-up. The second song on the album is the namesake "Titancraft", and it certainly sounds like something played by giants. Fast-paced and filled with resonating vocals that are the hallmark of IRON SAVIOR, the song pays homage to the greatness of heroes.
"Way of the Blade" is an epic tale of warriors clashing on the battlefield. It drives forward with powerful guitar work and eventually mellows to a solemn section lamenting the heroic lives the battle had cost. "Sieze the Day" is made of the stuff that makes IRONSAVIOR one of the greats; thundering drumbeats, incomparable harmonies, melodic vocals, and unyielding guitar work. It doesn't make use of the story the album tells, but it fills you with a sense of drive and purpose that still fits the theme.
"Gunsmoke" comes loaded with cymbals like that ring like the six-shooters, that along with the song's sound effects evoke the depiction of a wild-west gunfight. "Beyond the Horizon" is a triumphant ballad celebrating the people that the warriors fight to protect; "I'm on my way back to you, back to the light". Up next the album makes a one-eighty degree turn with "The Sun Won't Set in Hell". This song paints a beautiful but horrifying picture, lamenting the fall to darkness. But the song manages to maintain a sense of hopefulness despite the melancholic theme thanks to the incredible solos and the promise of release. "Strike Down the Tyrrany" brings the speed metal influence to the forefront with furious drumming throughout all five minutes and howling guitar solos that take the adrenaline levels off the scale. "Brothers in Arms" celebrates the camaraderie of men in combat fighting for glory and to protect their world. All in all, the album is a phenomenal piece of work by one of the most underrated and underappreciated bands of the last twenty years. If you haven't heard of IRON SAVIOR before, do yourself a solid favour and pick up "Titancraft".
9 / 10
Almost Perfect
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Titancraft" Track-listing:
- Under Siege
- Titancraft
- Way of the Blade
- Seize the Day
- Gunsmoke
- Beyond the Horizon
- The Sun Won't Rise in Hell
- Strike Down the Tyranny
- Brothers in Arms
Iron Savior Lineup:
Piet Sielck - Guitar, Vocals
Jan-Soren Eckert - Bass, Additional Vocals
Thomas Nack - Drums
Joachim "Piesel" Kustner - Guitars
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