Made of Iron - Made of Iron

[Bleakest Harvest]

Made of Iron - Made of Iron
Sonic Age - SARECD002 - 17/12/04
By Patrick Walsh



It comes as no surprise to learn that Made of Iron spent the first two years of their existence as an Iron Maiden cover band, which I think pretty much sums up what's on offer here. This is trad-metal of the strictly old school variety, complete with galloping guitar riffs pilfered from you-know-who, ball breaking vocals histronics and lyrics about...well, they seem to be Christian orientated actually, with names like 'Fight for the Cross...Die for Jerusalem', 'Time to Repent', and 'King of all Kings' (the latter isn't a Hate Eternal cover thankfully). Strange that, but hey, whatever floats your boat.

The main problem with Made of Iron isn't so much the performances of the musicians, as they're predictably of a high standard and tight as you like, but rather in vocalist Jim's inability to convey much emotion outside of the occasional rasp (presumably to show that he's angry at something) amidst all the high-pitched yelping. He comes across as a weaker Bruce Dickinson, and since formidable clones of the Iron Maiden frontman are two a penny these days, a substandard one is unforgivable. His frequent wanderings into out of key territory don't help matters at all either. The rest of the band, while obviously talented, lack any semblance of individuality, seeming content to sound like every other Iron Maiden clone on the face of the earth. Where's the individual stamp to prove that, yes, I am listening to a new band and not some Maiden b-sides collection sung by Bruce Dickinson with the flu? Made of Iron is a wasted opportunity for the band to prove they can hold their own outside of their influences, although Iron Maiden masochists might find something worthwhile to be found within.

5/10

Made of Iron's Official Website
Sonic Age Records' Official Website