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..::OPIS::..

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Although the reason why I decided to revisit Iron Angel’s back catalogue some ten years ago was the release of the awful “Back from Hell” demo, about which the guys should forget faster than Destruction did about their mid-90’s period (yeah, it’s that bad), I was quite glad that I did since it reminded me of how jubilant I was listening to this happy-go-lucky speed metal barrage on the album reviewed here in my teenage years, feeling also content with the fact that I had found “Walls of Jericho”’s little brother, only served with a more mainstream flavour. Although the guys were the first German victims of the mid-80’s transformation campaign (Motley Crue, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, etc.) towards a mellower poppier sound, they still managed to retain quite a bit of their aggressive swagger that made their debut such a compulsive headbanging fest.

The debut was a compelling speed/thrash affair with audible attempts at more individual ways of expression. However, the sophomore here shows an obvious fascination with the mentioned Helloween magnum opus, and it remains its most faithful companion all these years including with the more commercial radio-friendly additives, and not only because of Dick Shroder’s “Kai Hansen meets Udo”-like vocals. The stomping officiant intro that is the title-track abruptly turns into a ball of speed metal fury on “Metalstorm” which couldn’t have been titled more appropriately, a short bursting speedster that almost exemplifies the German speed metal scene in its entirety. “Son of a Bitch” is not an Accept cover, contrary to the expectations, but is a great uplifting power metal anthem with a nearly stadium-filling potential with the rousing shouty chorus and the brisk bouncy rhythms. “Vicious” has a smattering pounding beginning, but after it it’s business as usual the band unleashing a whirlwind of fast lashing guitars turning this number into another shining example of pure speed metal carnage done right. “Born to Rock” has a very clear message from the very title, and this is indeed a fist-pumping heavy rocker worthy of Accept and Scorpions with a staged live setting echoing Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run”.

Far from embarrassment, this number remains the only full-fledged probe into the growing pop-metalish aesthetics on the field, and is totally cancelled by “Fight for Your Life”, a vigorous speed/thrash with biting cutting guitars, arguably the band’s finest achievement, offering myriad time and tempo-changes, a shredding fest of epic proportions nearly matched by “Stronger than Steel” which stomping intro reminds of Exciter’s “Scream in the Night” from “Violence & Force”; furious speed metal is thrown at the expectant audience later, a soaring “eagle fly free” cavalcade with the next in line sing-along chorus embedded into the hyper-active melee. “Sea of Flames” serves a tasteful portion of melodic leads as an appetizer which precedes another fast-paced carnival mixed with more laid-back power metal, the melodic hooks appearing later again to wrap it on. “Creatures of Destruction” is a brilliant angry speed metaller the guys raising hell as a logical conclusion to this impressive slab of old school metal which actual finale is the cool short balladic “Back to the Silence” with Schroder showing his more lyrical, more passionate vocal arsenal to a really positive effect.

German speed metal couldn’t have come much better than here, and apart from the early Helloween exploits and Living Death’s “Metal Revolution” it’s probably only the first two Scanner instalments that managed to capture the movement’s invigorating charm as profoundly, not siding that readily with the more aggressive thrash-prone debuts of Angel Dust, Exumer and Paradox, and Blind Guardian’s first two. The mentioned friendlier ingredients boded danger for eventual future recordings as one never knew how far the guys would be willing to reach exploring their more tender side. In this train of thought their very early disappearance, one of the earliest in metal history as a matter of fact, may have been for the better cause no one wanted to see prime German speed metallers releasing “Cold Lake” or “Eat the Heat” before those albums were even conceived on the mental plane.

The old school resurrection wave brought the Iron Angels back into the game, and although the first showing (the mentioned demo) after the reformation had better be forgotten, the more recent weather forecasts hint at potential strong winds (of war) stirring somewhere in the distance.

Bayern



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. Winds Of War
2. Metalstorm
3. Son Of A Bitch
4. Vicious
5. Born To Rock
6. Fight For Your Life
7. Stronger Than Steel
8. Sea Of Flames [First Solo And Melodic Guitar] - Jürgen Blackmore
9. Creatures Of Destruction
10. Back To The Silence



..::OBSADA::..

Dirk Schröder - Vocals
Mike Matthes - Drums
Thorsten Lohman- Bass
Sven Strüven (R.I.P. 2008) - Guitars
Peter Wittke (R.I.P. 2000) - Guitars




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ5ERWrXF5A



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