Classy and intense, bold and dynamic, the expertly controlled melodic brutality of Iron Savior hits a home run once again.

Initially put together as a studio project about twenty years ago by band masterminds Piet Sielck, Kai Hansen and Thomen Stauch (Gamma Ray and Blind Guardian respectively), Iron Savior were one of the first post-Grunge European Power Metal acts to gain traction on the back of the unprecedented success story that was HammerFall, and I suppose to a lesser extent Rhapsody.

Heavily influenced by classic Brit Metal acts Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, the "project" quickly grew into a fully-fledged band in its own right, their riff-strewn full-on Metal assault – think GR meets 'Painkiller' era Priest – soon elevating them from the rest of the chasing pack. By rights they should have ridden those early waves of success to the same levels of international renown as the aforementioned HammerFall and Primal Fear, but due in no small part to the ever busier schedule of Sielck, they've kind of underperformed on that score... although thankfully from a purely musical perspective they've always hit the bullseye!

Coming a little over two years after the raging sonic firestorm that was 'Rise Of The Hero', latest studio opus 'Titancraft' – their ninth new album release in two decades – shows IS have no intention of compromising their core principles. Yep, you guessed it; strafing riffs and thunderous rhythms most definitely rule the roost once again but when combined with strong, surprisingly hooking melody lines, as is the IS way, they hit with all the force of a nuclear enema!

Take the frenetic 'Beyond The Horizon' for example; kerosene-fuelled riffs, belligerent vocals and galloping bass/drum lines are elevated way above the norm by an insistent melody that reminds me of Helloween one minute and Grim Reaper the next. Occasionally they lower the tempo a notch or two (only one or two mind) on unstoppable juggernauts like 'Brother In Arms', 'Gunsmoke' and the atmospheric 'I Surrender', but for the most part it's the tried and tested scorched earth approach that sweeps all before it. If anyone tells you that up-tempo Power Metal is one-dimensional noise, just give 'em a blast of diamond-hard tracks like 'Beyond The Horizon' or the ferocious 'Way Of The Blade' to prove otherwise.

Classy and intense, bold and dynamic, the expertly controlled melodic brutality of Iron Savior hits a home run once again!

Dave Cockett