Ironside, Adam: …Of Wars Across Andromeda

Following on from 2016’s The Sky Painter, comes …Of Wars Across Andromeda, the third release from guitar instrumentalist Adam Ironside. Running at just over the half hour mark, this latest effort from the ultra-talented fretsmith maybe falls into mini-album category but nonetheless you can undoubtedly appreciate the scope and scale of what’s being attempted here. The title track is a grandiose and varied piece that covers a huge amount of ground by way of an almost classic thrash attack, which is then bolted onto something altogether more progressive metal in nature. With impressive use of scales and technique the solo in this cut is a true piece of considered shred - if that’s not a double negative - where synth backed atmospheres compete with a full throttle assault of notes. It makes for a bombastic journey that’s best experienced at high volume and wearing a safety belt!

Cleverly not everything is so uncompromising, with “In Retrospect� being a piano led piece that lives up to its name, while various other styles are used across this album to alter the mood and tone. In ways though, that willingness to remain varied and to introduce new elements as you take this short journey also impacts on just how strongly this collection’s message comes across, with a slightly disjointed feel niggling away in the background.

Three guests appear, although it’s never quite made clear what any of Thomas McRocklin, Paul Trotter or Sam Bell contribute to their respective tracks, which is something of a shame. However there’s no denying the potency in the staccato burst of “Circularium�, which features Trotter, while the symphonic themes encased in the grating riffs of “Build.Destroy.Rebuild.Repeat�, where Bell appears, are equally engaging.

Not maybe quite as accessible, or ‘song’ based as his previous outing, what Adam Ironside has achieved here remains impressive, even if it does possibly reside too deep in the guitar instrumentalist niche for some tastes.

Track Listing
1. Event Horizon
2. In Retrospect
3. Ramanujan
4. …Of Wars Across Andromeda
5. Circularium
6. Build.Destroy.Rebuild.Repeat
7. On Looking Out At Starless Skies

Added: April 5th 2020
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Adam Ironside @ bandcamp
Hits: 642
Language: english

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