Dusk does not set on SAVAGE DAWN!

DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS is proud to present IRON CURTAIN’s highly anticipated fifth album, Savage Dawn, on CD and vinyl LP formats.

For nearly 20 years now, Spanish metal inquisition IRON CURTAIN have been stalwart defenders of the faith. With a discography that includes four full-lengths and twice as many EPs, splits, and demos, IRON CURTAIN’s ever-sturdy sound was forged in the fires of the early ‘80s: largely nodding to the eternal Motörhead as well as Tank, but also Canadian gods like Exciter and Razor, to the Teutonic might of early Iron Angel and Grave Digger, to Scandinavian gods OZ and Heavy Load, to cult American icons Abattoir and Savage Grace, and the shores of Britannia with the likes of Diamond Head, Raven, and Girlschool. And with the DYING VICTIMS release of career highpoint Danger Zone in 2019, that sound’s become even more rocking than ever.

After a quick-hitting mini-album (again through DYING VICTIMS) titled Metal Gladiator whereby the band presented the new alongside re-recordings of the old, IRON CURTAIN return to assume their throne with Savage Dawn. Doubtlessly (and vividly!) displayed by its photographic cover art courtesy of Daniel Rabandan, Savage Dawn is indeed a new dawn for IRON CURTAIN: a concerted return to their rough-hewn roots, only spit-shined with the gleaming chrome that’s come to define them in recent years. Thus does Savage Dawn exhibit a unique dichotomy: their ancient metal’s more juiced-up than ever, but the craggy edges come through in the content while the form is powerfully professional – “slick” only in the very best sense, with mixing by the esteemed Javi Félez (Teitanblood, Destroyer 666, Graveyard) and mastering by the equally esteemed Jaime Gómez Arellano (Ghost, Satan, Mayhem) providing that punch. As such, across these ten new tracks (anthemically presaged by “Rattlesnake” on Metal Gladiator, as vintage four-piece Motörheaded as it comes) do we hear IRON CURTAIN throw the likes of classic Riot, Jaguar, and Running Wild into their by-now-characteristic blender, with leads and melodies more soaring than ever.

Cool songs, catchy choruses, straightforward riffs, and pure HEAVY METAL with all killers and no fillers – what more do you need?! IRON CURTAIN drop the biggest sledgehammer with Savage Dawn!

Line-up:
Mike Leprosy – Vocals, Guitars
Joserra – Bass
Moroco – Drums
Juanma Fernández – Guitars

From Murcia, Spain

Artwork:
Daniel Rabadan

Release date:
February 23rd 2024

REVIEW

My first exposure to IRON CURTAIN was with their 2023 EP “Metal Gladiator”, which I greatly enjoyed (In particular the song “The Running Man”, and not just because I love that movie). The unexpected news of a follow-up so soon after was a delightful surprise.

Since its reveal, this album has held the top spot on my 2024 albums list, and one major reason for that is the stunning album art. It’s the greatest photo album cover I’ve seen in years! From right there, I knew this would be a banger. Top marks also for the sharp (literally) but simple band logo.

The first track of this record, “The Aftermath,” a 1:23 long instrumental, set the stage for what was to come. The intro started off with delicate acoustic guitarwork, complemented by a subtle touch of keys in the background. There wasn’t much there, but sometimes simplicity can be a good thing. It smoothly lead into our first proper track, “Devil’s Eyes”. The bass in this track is insane, and the entire band is putting their heart and soul into it. The delivery of the chorus is so incredibly infectious and impressive. It’s a relentless track that steamrolls through without ever pausing or losing momentum, even during the solo. Also 10/10 for the explosion sound effect toward the end.

Next up, we had the lead single “Gypsy Rocker”. The recurring guitar riff in the beginning of the song was absolutely captivating – I couldn’t get enough of it. Leprosy (the singer, not the album or disease) dazzled with his incredible vocal delivery on this track. The solo at the 2-minute mark was a reminder of the incredible talent these guys possess.

Suddenly, a chilling howl pierced the silence – “Thy Wolf” had arrived. In this song, Moroco, the drummer of IRON CURTAIN, stole the spotlight with his marvelous skills. “This is the sign of the wolf!” is infectious, seeping deep into my ears and nearly impossible to not recite each time. An evil laugh ends this track, as all things should be ended.

Closing out the first half of the record is “Калашников 47” (or as Google translate tells me Kalashnikov 47), which is the longest track on the album by far at 7:36. Gorgeous acoustic playing harkened the arrival of what I knew would be an absolute banger. This lasts for around the first minute before Moroco’s extraordinary blitzkrieg of drums blister like the screams of artillery fire. Outstanding riffing at just before the 3:00 mark, really great stuff. A big rock ending ushered in a reprise of the outstanding acoustic work.

“Rattlesnake” brings us to the second half of the record. Very tasty bass groove to begin this one, just so good. The MOTORHEAD influence is strong here, I could easily picture Lemmy playing this on stage. But it’s not so much like MOTORHEAD as to be derivative, it’s a love letter, and a damn good one at that.

Next came “Tyger Speed”. This one reminded me of VENOM for some reason, not quite sure why, maybe the vocal delivery used. This is a down n dirty thrasher of a song that thundered on like the roar of an engine. Have to give a massive shoutout to bassist, Joserra, for his continued endurance across the entire album. Bass can fade into the background a lot during speed metal, but he makes sure that it stays present, and that makes the band sound complete.

“Evil is Everywhere” joined the fray next, beginning with some demonic sermon sounding stuff (typical metal stuff). An absolute stunner of a bass groove kicks off the track properly, pure metal bliss. More melodic guitars in this one, and it gives it a sound all its own. Love the recurring riff! Yeah, this was an epic track, easily one of my favorites on the entire record.

And our final proper track “Jericho Trumpet (Stuka)”, opening with the sound of an airplane soaring is always a great touch. A more traditional speed metal track, with an insanely good guitar solo that complemented the track well (it reminded me of an airplane haha). This was another banger!

“Savage Dawn”, a 49 second long instrumental brought the album to a close. Another acoustic affair, with a slight orchestral flair to it. Could it be an omen of what’s to come?

CONCLUSION

Right from seeing that album cover, I knew this one would rip, and I wasn’t disappointed. From start to finish, I was never bored or wondering how much time was left in a specific song. This was pure speed metal all the way through, and I enjoyed every second.

TheNWOTHM Score: 9/10

IRON CURTAIN
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