Iron Man
South of the Earth
Review by Mike Korn
The term "Iron Man" will usually bring to mind either a red-and-gold armored superhero or maybe Black Sabbath’s seminal heavy metal tune. Well, here’s another Iron Man with whom you should acquaint yourself. This four man unit from the Washington, D.C./Baltimore area have been on the heavy rock scene for a long, long time, but running under the radar. That should now change with the release of South of the Earth, the band’s first effort on major indy label Metal Blade.
Yes, as you might gather from the name, the band is heavily influenced by Black Sabbath, but not to the point of mimicry. On South of the Earth, there’s a lot of variety and also a very bluesy, soulful vibe to some of the tunes that is rare in modern metal. Iron Man guitarist Alfred Morris III not only has created one of the heaviest, warmest guitar tones known to man, but he’s also an astonishing and fluid lead guitarist who takes a lot of cues from Hendrix. New Iron Man vocalist “Screaming Mad” Dee Calhoun has an awesome voice to match Morris’ playing and he also helps the band ascend to a different level. This record comes highly recommended to those who like their music heavier than lead but with a lot of soul as well.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2013 Volume 6 at lulu.com/strangesound.
|