Ironwood
Storm Over Sea ()
Wydane przez Self-financedRok wydania Kraj AustraliaNapisał Wouter8
One of the strongest debuts of the last years were unargueably Australian progressive folk/pagan metallers Ironwood. On the follow-up to "Fire Water Ash" Ironwood now deliver a conceptual record about the sea and its many facets. The fearsome foursome (Philip Brown – vocals/guitars, Henry Lauer - bass/vocals, Matthew Raymond - guitars/vocals, Dan Nahum - drums) delivers 8 new tracks with a triumvirate being 10 minute plus epics ('Infinite Sea', 'Weather the Storm' and 'A Bond to Sever') alongside more manageable cuts. Compared to the debut these tracks have more fluent dynamics, more engaging vocal harmonies and a soothing combination of acoustics and abberant brutality. Where a lot of contemporary folk metal acts fall victim to the vox populi (with easy to chant along polka songs and not much substance otherwise) or remain on the outer edges of popularity (Primordial, Kampfar, Mael Mordha) when doing something individual sounding – there's precious few young acts that add something to the genre as a whole. Ironwood determinedly breaks with tradition and reinstates an air of intelligence and a degree of sophistication so sorely lacking in the genre. As was the case with their debut "Storm Over Sea" comes in a lushly designed digipack with a truly exemplary booklet, including lyrics, production notes combined with breathtaking photography and pagan inspired lay-out consisting of runes and sea-related imagery. In times of dwindling record sales it is heartening to know that bands like these still exist. Truly unique sounding bands that aren't afraid to think outside of box in fear of not being liked by those who dictate what the taste du jour should be. Ironwood continues to amaze and to be far above their more populist genre competitors. It's about time Ironwood get recognized by the labels and distributors alike. "Storm Over Sea" is a record you need to hear.
www.myspace.com/ironwoodband
