For those who do not know, Heimdall is a Nordic god, the Lord of the sky and Guardian of the mighty bridge, Bifrost, that links the world of the mortals with the one of the gods. I assume that you already understand the music formula Heimdall adopt. These guys are well known to the Speed / Power / Epic Metal fans and Hard As Iron is their latest release. If you are interested in bands such as Labyrinth, Gamma Ray, Stratovarious, Manowar and Savatage, then you will find this album delectable. Strong compositions with symphonic and majestic aspects to the sound is what we got here. Hard As Iron is not an easy-to-listen album cause of its complexity of the compositions, but it will satisfy every Speed / Power / Epic Metaller out there. The intro track prepares the listener for the massive mission that follows- symphonic choruses mixed with flashy guitars, epic tunes and glorious vocals. Definitely these guys have to be heard and if you are not already familiar with their sound, then I suggest you buy their latest album and I promise you will not be disappointed. Black Tower is in my opinion the highlight of this release. A song that has it all… power, energy, Epic atmosphere, heavy guitar riffs, mid tempo rhythm beat, symphonic choruses and a brilliant melody. The advantages of Hard As Iron are the band's performance, which is extremely good, the production that is crystal clear and the clever musical paths that they follow in order to achieve the desirable outcome. If you are looking for flaming dragons, fairy-tales and warriors with mighty swords in their hands then I am sorry but you lost. Heimdall's music is very respectable; we are not talking about children who copy the leviathans of that genre but for mature musicians who know how to compose Epic music, enviable for many other bands out there. Heimdall did it again with Hard As Iron. I am very content for this band and their releases until now. They always surprise me because they sound fresh and new, year after year. Allow me to end this review with their own words… The force of the earth, The father of mankind, And no future no past, Warden of the keys of the world of the gods - The LORD OF THE SKY
Tracklist:
Hard As Iron Midnight Moon Red Light Black Tower Cold The Emperor Dark Home Black Heaven Holy Night Hollow Planet