Iron AgeWith all of the hype that the Texas hardcore scene has gotten over the last year or so, with great bands like Pride Kills, Will To Live, Ten Crowns, etc., getting their just due, it was only a matter of time before more bands from Texas would start popping up and getting exposure. Though Iron Age is benefitting from the hard work put down by the aforementioned bands by getting more hyped up early on, especially considering they've only released a demo prior to this, they would've gotten out there eventually. I mean if you can craft an album this great people will eventually have to take notice. It doesn't hurt either when you have ex-members of Desperate Measures (guitarist Wade Allison) and Far From Breaking (vocalist Jason Tarpey).
Musically, I was loving this as soon as the first track,"We're The Dust/The Violator" came ripping through the speakers. You can hear everything from the Cro-Mags, Best Wishes era, to Metallica, Kill em' All era , with nods to some the crossover legends of hardcore, Leeway, Agnostic Front, and C.O.C. Throughout the 10 tracks on this album, there isn't a dull moment to be had. The band utilizes plenty of chunky riffing, dual guitar leads, solo's, leads, and pounding bass lines. The crazy thing about this album is when you can take into consideration, the bands that influenced this recording, seldom does the band get out of the mid pace range. You would think their would be some real fast thrashy stuff, but not at all. On the lyrical side of things these guys do an interesting job of incorporating the straight up hardcore lyrics with the imagery that many metal bands use. Especially when you look at song titles like, "Return to the Void," "We're Dust/The Violator," and "Twisted Faith," etc,. Every song has one great memorable line, for instance in the song "Twisted Faith," I love the line, "If there's a rhythm to life, then we're missing the beat." That is fucking quality shit right there.
On first inspection, I thought the album could've have benefitted greatly from a meatier sound on the production, especially on the guitars, but after listening to the album a few more times, I changed my mind. Though these guys have a big metal and late 80's crossover influence in their sound, there's not many crushing breakdowns and what not that would benefit from a more beefed up sound. So, by letting the bass round out the sound is only fitting, just as the Cro-Mags did with their albums and Harley's bass playing. The sound is very crisp and punchy, leaving plenty of room and clarity for the winding guitar lines and the leads. I also like how the vocals were dialed in just a slight step lower in the mix, as good as the vocals are, the instruments need to be heard. The bass tone sounds so fucking good, there's a perfect balance of treble and warmth.
I can't even put into words how much I'm loving this layout. From the cover art, to the cd face, to the booklet, everything looks immaculate. The cover art slightly reminds me of the Cro-Mags, "Best Wishes" album, and was drawn up Linas Garsys. The CD face looks like an old rock or metal CD that you would've gotten 10-15 years ago with the plain cd and black and red lines going around the edge, complete with the tracklisting and all. Inside the booklet, the lyrics are printed in plain black and white, which also ties into the old school theme for the layout. There is a boatload of live band photos placed in the middle of the booklet, which you can never go wrong with. From top to bottom, I couldn't have asked for more.
Rating: 5/5
Songs worthy of Replay: Cheat Death, Twisted Faith....ah I could go on if I wanted to.
Thesis: This is crossover done right, hardcore to the bone with the technical prowess that will rival the majority of metalcore bands. Don't pass on this band because of all the hype because if you do, you'll be missing out big time. Cope this mother fucker noooooow!