Originally released in 1994, The Passage is the second album from Black Sabbath worshipers Iron Man, now being reissued on vinyl from the folks at Shadow Kingdom Records. If you are familiar with the formula of this band, it doesn't deviate much here from their other releases, and with this album saw the first appearance of vocalist Dan Michalak. Unlike original vocalist Rob Levey, Michalak provides some higher pitched vocals, not unlike early Ozzy Osbourne, which fit in nicely alongside the constant doom riffing from Al Morris. From top to bottom you get a never ending supply of solid doom tracks, from "Unjust Reform", "The Fury", "The Gargoyle", "Iron Warrior", and "Time of Indecision", each one home to some truly cool riffs that are impossible to ignore. The band does drop in the odd twist, like the somewhat proggy "Waiting for Tomorrow" and the sizzling instrumental "Tony Stark" (more Marvel references for ya!) , but otherwise it's doom baby, doom from start to finish, all the way up to the closing headbanger "End of the World", another exciting slice of Sabbath styled riff-o-rama. Production is a tad iffy, but man, those riffs steal the show.
Track Listing
1) The Fury
2) Unjust Reform
3) The Gargoyle
4) Harvest of Earth
5) The Passage
6) Iron Warrior
7) Freedom Fighters
8) Waiting for Tomorrow
9) Time of Indecision
10) Tony Stark
11) End of the World
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