The Belgian neo-clasic metal band Iron Mask is back with their fourth release and a new line-up. Being last heard from with their terrific Shadow of the Red Baron I had a bit of trepidation upon hearing that they were replacing lead singer Val Halla Jr. but then hearing that Mark Boals would be taking over I suddenly became much more interested in what they might come up with. Arguably Boals is one of the greatest singers in the genre and every chance to hear him is a pleasure. Well, this one is no exception. He along with band leader and guitar hero Dushan Petrossi give you a bombastic and epic power metal disc that will not sit idle on the shelf.
Sure there is a bit of cheese factor with this type of album but that is an intricate part of the equation. Those sing-a-long choruses in the title track "Black As Death" are as important as the terrific guitar work of Petrossi and the soaring vocals of Boals. This music demands audience participation and they leave little doubt that all who listen will be grabbing whatever is handy to use as a microphone or be strumming the air guitar. Be prepared to get into rock star mode as this is one of those albums that makes you dream of being up there on stage.
One thing that I noticed about this disc is that the subject matter is much darker than their other releases. There is a really heaviness to this one that only adds to the overall epic nature of the album. With Roma Siadletski adding some growls sporadically throughout the disc and some gritty guitar work from Petrossi, you will have the feeling that these guys are trying to lay claim to the power metal crown. The blend of this harshness along with the symphonic touches and the grandiose musical arrangements give plenty of fuel for Boals to feed off of. They are hitting on all cylinders and do so for over an hour of glorious heavy metal thunder.
From my description you might think that this is the Mark Boals show but that would be far from the truth. Even though he is one of the best in the business and this album does nothing to counter that fact, Petrossi's guitar work is of equal magnitude. Employing some fierce chops throughout, Dushan shows both a keen sense of the melodic and a jaw dropping technical prowess that will amaze with each solo. Black As Death is a bold statement and announces to all that Iron Mask is back...and back with a vengeance.
Track listing:
1. From Light Into The Dark
2. Black As Death
3. Broken Hero
4. Feel The Fire
5. Ghengis Khan
6. God Punishes, I Kill
7. Rebel Kid
8. Blizzard Of Doom
9. The Absence
10. Magic Sky Requiem
11. Nosferatu
12. When All Braves Fall
13. Evil Strikes In Silence
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