So far in the first half of this year, I have reviewed quite a few live albums and with the exception of one, all of them so far have been pretty good. There's just something special about attending a live show, having it recorded and documented by a band and then re-listening to it when you are in the mood for reliving memories of a night when you can proudly say that you were there. That's the feeling I got when listening to a live album that was released this year and recorded last year that I went to the show for.

Time now for me to get onto the subject of today's review and the focus is the debut live album from German Heavy/Power Metallers IRON SAVIOR entitled "Live at the Final Frontier" which was recorded at a hometown show in Hamburg, Germany in January 2015. The concert was also recorded for a DVD as well as a double disc live album but it's the latter I am concentrating on today.

Formed in 1996, IRON SAVIOR was originally intended just to be a studio project but as the band worked on their sound, things changed and soon they became more then what they originally set out to be. 1997 saw the release of their self titled debut and the next years that followed saw an additional 9 studio albums, 2 EP's and 2 singles released in the bands close to 20 year career.

The newest release from the band is their very first live CD/DVD which was recorded in their hometown of Hamburg in January of 2015 during the Rise of the Hero Tour and it has got quite a lot to live up to seeing as this year has seen a lot of great live releases. The double disc set which clocks in at around 84 minutes and 17 tracks features a mixture of songs from the bands albums including their then new release "Rise of the Hero" but since that show was played. They remixed and reissued their 2007 album "Megatropolis". In addition to the bands own material, we also get a cover of "Breaking the Law" by JUDAS PRIEST which is a nice little addition.

Just like with the various other live releases I have heard this year, this one has an incredibly tight sound and the full on heavy sound that you get from a live gig is present in this double disc set. This means that you get to hear every little piece that makes up the heavy sound of Rock/Metal music including the savage guitars, the pounding beats from the rhythm section and of course the powerful vocal performance from the bands front man.

Just like with the sound, the production is also very tight and it has been mixed very well for a live release. This is never a bad thing as it means that you get to relive the magic of a live show; whether it be listening to the CD version while driving along in your car or watching the band perform the songs on your TV with the DVD version but you'll still enjoy it no matter which version you go for.

Only issue I do have is that the transitions between the songs can often be a bit off or choppy/forced at times but other than that, this is a very well mixed and produced live release so no real major complaints here.

Bottom line, the debut live CD from IRON SAVIOR matches up to the standards of the other great live releases I have heard this year so far. If you were at the show that this album was recorded at, then it's definitely one worth picking up to add to your collection but even if you weren't there, it's still one to pick up if you get a kick out of live music like I do.