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Guilty As Charged

      
         
         
         
     
             
Iron Curtain are a heavy metal band from Spain forming in 2007, releasing their first full length album in 2012, with the follow up released in 2013. The bands third album, 'Guilty As Charged' was released in 2016.    
             
With just one look at the imagery on the cover of the new album, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this was an album released in the mid eighties when leather and studs was all the rage. On first listen, you'd also think the album was released during the mid eighties...but no, released in 2016, 'Guilty As Charged' (the album) owes so much of its look and sound to the evolutionary NWOBHM movement. Opening with the lightning quick 'Into The Fire', dual guitars duelling and a galloping rhythm, you'd still think this was a mid eighties album. For fans of "old school", this is a perfect gift. 'Lion's Breath' takes a nod towards the mighty Powerslave album by UK legends Iron Maiden with its guitar sound and pounding drums. After just two songs, the album has set a breath taking pace that is not let up for one moment. 'Take It Back' continues the Iron Maiden influence and picks up the pace once more as it rattles by in a flash. Close your eyes for a moment and visualise the atmosphere, the leather, sweat and beer of a mid eighties pub venue being rocked to the rafters by a blistering array of explosive heavy metal...    
             
Guitars screech, guitar solos scream, and the vocals are a perfect match to the furious pace of every song. 'Relentless' is a swaggering guitar led, buzzsaw style riffing melodic romp. An atmosphere of hard head banging, fists punching the air, and shouts of "don't spill my beer" flow through the mind as the album scorches on with the raucous 'Iron Price'. At such an energetic pace and high intensity, 'Iron Price' is in danger of breaking the sound barrier. The awesome and distinctive NWOBHM guitar buzz is evident as 'Outlaw' rips through the airways and flies off at top speed. Displaying a slightly heavier feel, 'Outlaw' has electrifying pace and duelling guitars that are vicious as they attack each other. Every song on the album has blistering guitar solos and thunderous drumming that is so reminiscent of the eighties heavy metal heyday when iconic bands Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Saxon ruled the roost and between them evolved the NWOBHM sound.    
             
Many other bands also had an influence on the NWOBHM sound, too many to mention here, but bands such as Angel Witch, Fist, raven and Tank made a major impact. Iron Curtain have taken all of these influences on board and evolved themselves into a powerhouse of a hard hitting heavy metal machine. 'Wild & Rebel' keeps the pace going with its high octane, high velocity feel. The most thunderous and hard hitting song off the album is the title song 'Guilty As Charged'. It is ballsy, bombastic and full of pace. Only the truest and most die hard of heavy metal fans will have been head banging for the entire album and if, like me, you are one of them, I salute you...welcome to heavy metal heaven, courtesy of the new album from Iron Curtain. With one last flourish before the album ends, Iron Curtain honour one of the lesser known pioneers of the NWOBHM with a cover of 'Turn The Hell On' by Fist, from their 1982 album 'Back With A Vengeance'. The signature sound of Iron Curtain is a perfect fit for this era of song, and their cover is simply brilliant. They have kept the sound and the pace identical to the original and have not altered it in any way, exactly how covers should be. This is a breath taking album by a young band full of fire...expect much more.
             
Overall, a breath taking and blistering album full of high energy and fast paced songs with a very strong NWOBHM influence.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
Other Reviews    
             

           
           
Danger Zone      
           
"a fast, furious and ferocious gallop of NWOBHM inspired heavy metal that will delight and excite" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             

           
           
Metal Gladiator E.P.      
           
"a thunderous and fast paced twenty two minutes of terrific heavy metal from a band on top form" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             

           
           
Savage Dawn      
           
"a barnstorming and full on gallop of high octane heavy metal with immense head bang ability" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             
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