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Horns And Hammers

    
       
       
       
     
             
Ignitor are a heavy metal band from the USA formed in 2003 who've released eight albums to date, the most recent of which 'Horns And Hammers', emerged in 2024...    
             
...featuring ten songs across forty four rabble rousing minutes! The band are perched in the same field as the likes of Accept, Judas Priest, Manowar and Saxon, flying the flag of heavy metal very high - Ignitor standing tall and proud with one "foot on the monitor" to assume the iconic metal pose. And right from the off the band are in full flight, the title song 'Horns And Hammers' shuddering the ground it roars over, the American five piece displaying a sensational turn of speed! Not to mention the level of head bang ability - rising right through the fucking roof!    
             
A breath taking barrage of fast paced metal to launch your new album, Ignitor remain at full throttle for 'Imperial Bloodlines', the band echoing the classic sound of traditional heavy metal replete with the iconic "metal gallop" made famous by the legendary, pioneering metallers Iron Maiden. Ignitor may be five thousand miles away from where heavy metal was born, but boy do they ooze a British influence - none more so than the doom metal style of Black Sabbath as 'Dark Horse' marches in with grand poise and purpose, the band turning on their heels after just a minute to roar off at high velocity! The change of pace is electric, 'Dark Horse' hurtling forth with more head bang ability than the album opener - 'Cyber Crush' entering the fray with a distinct NWOBHM sound and feel! The instantly recognisable guitar tone of the NWOBHM evolution takes front and centre as 'Cyber Crush' gallops forth, rocking the heads back and forth of every single listener around the world.    
             
The level of intensity of 'Horns And Hammers' (the album) since it began has been top notch, Ignitor maintaining that level with the thundering 'Shattered Crosses', the band dipping a toe into thrash metal territory to add a weighty amount of heaviness and aggression to their soundscape - the meld of thrash and traditional metal a fucking glorious one! And one that remains in force as 'Taking Up With Serpents' brings a rougher, raspier sound to the fore! The band drop a gear or two here too, 'Taking Up With Serpents' stomping the ground hard to shake nearby buildings to their foundations - 'Ferocious The Martyr' bludgeoning listeners with a ferocity not heard previously! Yet amid all the ferocious intent on display here, Ignitor maintain the phenomenal melodious streak that's run through the centre of the album since it began, the band keeping fans of traditional, thrash, and melodic metal very happy indeed!    
             
And with absolutely no sign of a breather from the all conquering intensity, 'Horns And Hammers' (the album) marches on at a mid tempo pace with 'Suicide Anthem' - the anthemic nature of metal making its presence felt. The rabble rousing feel here is magnetic, every listener, fan, follower and metaller on the planet uniting as one to raise their clenched fists high and punch the air to salute a corker of a song! Highly charged thunder, fire and brimstone bursts free from the album in the shape of 'Chaos Maximus Eternal', the energy level storming off the charts as Ignitor roar louder than ever to deafen even the most diehard of metal fans! And bringing the album to a close, the two minute instrumental 'Terminous' is a meandering, melancholic swagger that boasts an eerie, highly chilling feel, yet somehow the band manage to set an immense anticipative nature - maybe foreshadowing the bands next album!    
             
Overall, a thundering, galloping album of highly head bang-able heavy metal that's both infectious and addictive.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
Review is also featured at Metal-Roos    
             
             
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