Review: Ironflame "World To Conquer

RELEASE DATE: 14th of August 2026

LABEL: High Roller Records

Since the 1980s, Cleveland has always been a fertile breeding ground for great heavy metal music. Ohio-based Andrew Della Cagna continues this tradition in true style. Over the past years, the multi-instrumentalist has been active in more than half a dozen bands, among them Brimstone Coven and Icarus Witch. His main priority, however, is his own project IRONFLAME, for which he writes the music, lyrics, handles all the instruments and sings.

There is no secret that the heavy metal scene is large, but exists in a small world. I’ve seen the name IRONFLAME around a lot, but for some reason I never listened to them, and damn, I’m upset I hadn’t given them a chance until now. I went back and listened to “Kingdom Torn Asunder” and “Lightning Strikes the Crown” to get an idea of what to expect with their brand new record titled, “Worlds to Conquer.” I wasn’t disappointed, in fact, I was excited to hear something current from the group. Here is my review of what I think is one of the strongest metal releases of the year.

REVIEW

“Night Closes In” If you don’t start strong, then you’re last. That’s how I would like to begin here. “Night Closes In” kicks off with a melancholic piano and vocal intro that builds suspense until it blasts you with a complementary guitar lead that introduces an upbeat verse and Bruce Dickinson-inspired vocals. What can I say? This song has everything you need in a heavy metal song. Hell, it even has blast beats. I would say this is a damn near flawless intro to an album.

“Legion of Fire” This is slightly more upbeat than the previous song. This is a great time to point out that the album is darker than previous IRONFLAME albums. There is a riff progression in this song that reminded me of The Black Dahlia Murder, and that’s not something one thinks of when listening to a heavy metal/power metal record.

“Dynasties Fall” Proggy, dark, and almost… folky? This one is packed full of very thoughtful riffs and melodies, and it’s important that I remind you that just one person, Andrew D’Cagna, wrote the majority of this record. That makes this particular song even more impressive. It’s not straightforward; it pulls you in and lets you go.

“Where Cauldrons Burn” This is my favorite song from “Worlds to Conquer.” How in the hell has this song not been written yet? It’s that good. That verse riff is tasty, and the harmonic offshoot of the riff that kicks in during the second bar is genius. It’s not the fastest song, and it doesn’t need to be. There is a bridge riff that connects the solo back to the last chorus that is my favorite on the album, and possibly my riff of the year. The song ends with a nice clean-tone solo that fills out the ending very nicely.

“Shadow Slave” How do you follow up a song like “Where Cauldrons Burn”? You do it by doing a very straightforward ’80s-inspired song. You get the obvious Ronnie James Dio type of vocals, but I also hear hints of Randy Rhoads and Unleash the Archers undertones. This song keeps that momentum going, and it keeps you wanting more.

“Crimson Shores” Judas Priest with a breakdown. This one begins pretty aggressively and introduces a verse riff that’s similar to “Legion of Fire.” This one probably has my favorite chorus of the album. You can’t hate a song that has “AHHHs” in the chorus. This one would be great to hear live, especially when it gets to the “Raining Blood” type of breakdown halfway through the song.

“Valhalla is Calling” Technically, this one is probably the most “power metal” type of song on the record. It’s a battle anthem, and once again, has a very singable chorus that will get stuck in your head. I mean, it would be very difficult to not want to kick ass while throwing this song on in the background. I would like to give props to the very nice dual harmonic guitar solo. Can I also say that songs like this don’t sound like they were made in Cleveland? This song sounds like it was written in the tundras of Scandinavia.

“Worlds to Conquer” Damn, the last song on the record. This one sounds a little different from what you’ve heard so far, but it fits perfectly into that last song slot. It’s big and epic, but it doesn’t overshadow the other tracks. It has the right balance to send the record off into the distance.

Line-up:

Andrew D’Cagna – Vocals

Jesse Scott – Guitar

Quinn Lukas – Guitar

James Babcock – Bass

Noah Skiba – Drums

Track list:

1. Night Closes In

2. Legion of Fire

3. Dynasties Fall

4. Where Cauldrons Burn

5. Shadow Slave

6. Crimson Shores

7. Valhalla is Calling

8. Worlds to Conquer

9. Death’s Immortal Flame (CD Bonustrack)

Conclusion

Generally speaking, I love “Worlds to Conquer.” This album is incredible through and through. The riffs are very well written, the singing is spot on, and the production is absolutely pristine. It doesn’t sound too perfect, but it has that modern edge that I want more heavy metal bands to embrace. There isn’t a single bad song, and it definitely fits the saying, “All killer, no filler.” This is one of the best albums of the year. Period.