Iron Allies - Blood In Blood Out

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I have a simple question for you. What do you get when you put a few very experienced German Metal heavyweights together? If you are lucky and these people know what they are doing, you could end up with a bloody good Heavy Metal Record. To put it bluntly: that is exactly what happened when Herman Frank and David Reece, both ex-ACCEPT (in different periods, though) started to collaborate. The result is “Blood In Blood Out”, the debut album of the aptly named band IRON ALLIES. Together with their Metal compatriots they have been successful in releasing a proper Heavy Metal album.

And before you ask, no, this doesn’t resemble their former band ACCEPT in the slightest. This is a very intense record, with immersive songs that will take by the hairs of your neck, chin or even off the top of your head, and try and pull you into the speakers. And if you’re listening through headphones, be careful that your brains are being sucked out. That’s how addictive IRON ALLIES have made “Blood In Blood Out”. Fast, furious, heavy, thundering, melodic, bloody impressive and blessed with an outstanding production. All these ingredients together make listening to IRON ALLIES into a real joy. A proper treat. And if you ask me for references, there are plenty, but whatever they are, every self-respecting Metalhead just has to give this at least a listen. There’s something for every lover of old-fashioned Heavy Metal.

I don’t know how these guys have done it, but every song on “Blood In Blood Out” sounds like it is something completely original. Nowhere do I get the feeling that they have scrounged off other bands, only used their own imagination and creativity. That is exactly what I feel is the true strength of “Blood In Blood Out”. The quality of all that I am hearing is so much above reproach that it is scary. You would think that I, with my utterly stubborn attitude of ‘everything has been done before’ would be very critical of all the riffs and tempos that I have heard before. But I honest to ‘whatever deity you are worshipping’ just can’t. This sounds and smells as fresh a recently dropped turd, making “Blood In Blood Out” into the most distinctive and pleasant True Heavy Metal record I have heard in ages. IRON ALLIES has my blessing to keep on going. As long as they want, really.

Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 8
Memorability: 8
Production: 8