Queen of Hell is the debut EP (12" vinyl release) from the outfit calling themselves Iron Magazine, who are actually comprised of Danko Jones & John Calabrese from Danko Jones, along with Circle's Jussi Lehtisalo and Tomi Leppänen. Containing four tracks that bridge the gap between classic hard rock, futuristic prog, and '80s pomp/AOR, Queen of Hell is an intriguing listen that will have you scratching your head at times but it's also one that's hard to ignore. The title track is actually kind of catchy and upbeat, with keyboards that sound like a cross between early '80s Styx and Devo, while "556" doesn't know whether it wants to sit in the new wave camp of go into full blown pomp rock. "Foes to Fire" dabbles in theatrical rock not unlike The Tubes, Jones' vocals way over the top amid some crunchy riffs and bubbling keys, and "Rise of the Deth" again unveils new wave, punk, pop, and prog elements that sort of don't go together, but in the end works to some degree. Basically that's the theme throughout Queen of Hell, Iron Magazine trying to mix together too much in a short amount of time, not sure exactly what they are trying to get across but throwing everything but the kitchen sink to see what sticks. Give them credit for at least trying to do something different, but it makes for a schizophrenic listen.
Track Listing
01 Queen of Hell
02 556
03 Foes to Fire
04 Rise of the Deth
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