If we were to loosely assign the Big 4 of German power metal as being Accept, Halloween, Blind Guardian and Powerwolf (please @ me with your angry rebuttals), then Iron Savior would firmly sit as one of the bands next in line. Skycrest is the 12th album in their long career, and brings with it their typical style of fist pumping riffage.
Emerging from Hamburg back in 1996, by long term (and only remaining original member) Piet Sielck, Iron Savior combine 80s style speed and power metal to great effect. Whilst many of these types of band fail to stand out amongst the droves, Piet‘s signature raspy vocals provide enough separation that has always kept me listening to Iron Savior throughout the years.
You most certainly get your fill of galloping drums and melodic riffing throughout. After the mandatory opening build up track, the title track Skycrest steams through and is unmistakable Iron Savior through and through. Hellbreaker has a heavy whiff of Hammerfall about it. Mid tempo, soulful and all about the terrific vocals. Oh and laser gun sound effects.
Souleater is the obvious single track on the album. Straight out of the 80s, and glorious is it. But for me it is Silver Bullet that is the standout track. A 45 second solo that would sit nicely on a Dragonforce album. Sublime. Raise the Flag of Metal gets your fists pumping in the air in the ridiculous full pomp and circumstance way only power metal can conjure up. But man do I feel mighty doing so!
Skycrest feels like it ends nicely after 10th track End of the Rainbow. That would leave a total album length of 46 minutes which is about par for a metal album. After that, Ease Your Pain, whilst a very competent ballad is a smidge too long and slow and drops the mood a little too much after the barnstorming earlier performance. Closer Ode to the Brave is a good track but not hugely different to the rest of the up-tempo tracks on the rest of the album and feels superfluous.
I would have preferred they save these two tracks for the next album. Breaking close to or over the hour mark requires decent variation throughout the album. However, for a straight forward power/speed odyssey it’s too prolonged. I could easily throw that critic at a lot of power metal albums so not unique here. Take a look through all the best metal albums of all time and they rarely break 50 minutes for good reason.
Nevertheless this is a very good slice of power metal pie and worthy of consumption. So long as you slice that pie with a mighty sword of metal steel mind. With Skycrest, Iron Saviour deliver once again.
Check out the year in review with best metal albums and metal songs of 2020.
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