Already the gauntlet has been thrown down for power metal album of the year by Iron Savior! "Empire Of The Undead" is going to have to be totally stunning if Kai Hansen is going to usurp this amazing effort from his old bandmate Piet Sielck. Some wonderful old school metal and speed metal tracks are on offer here, which might just be the best album by Iron Savior yet! It is definitely the best album they've made since Kai Hansen left without a doubt, it's brilliant power metal all the way.

Written by Angelic Storm on 01.03.2014 at 23:48

Already the gauntlet has been thrown down for power metal album of the year by Iron Savior! "Empire Of The Undead" is going to have to be totally stunning if Kai Hansen is going to usurp this amazing effort from his old bandmate Piet Sielck. Some wonderful old school metal and speed metal tracks are on offer here, which might just be the best album by Iron Savior yet! It is definitely the best album they've made since Kai Hansen left without a doubt, it's brilliant power metal all the way.

You've certainly piqued my interest. I've loved every single I heard off of "Empire of the Undead", this sounds like it's something really special.

EDIT: I've listened to it for 40 minutes. It's all been great music, though I feel one or two tracks could have been done away with. That said, I'm not gonna able to finish it all in one sitting... it's heavy. Not thrash metal in your face heavy, epic, telling a story heavy. But it's a wall of sound nonetheless, and it's something that you don't just listen to in the background. Speaking of thrash, I can tell right away that this album has a problem similar to what Exodus' Exhibit B had... droves. Lots of droves. Too many droves. To quote a certain bitter reviewer on here.

For me, the only song the album could have done without, is the cover song "Dance With Somebody". Every other song has something about it which engages me as a listener and fan of this type of music. Be it the ultra infectious harmony riff in "Firestorm", the ferocious riff set which opens "Thunder In The Mountains", or the huge, atmospheric hooks which infest "Last Hero", every song has something to love about it. Even "Dragon King", which didn't hit me initially due to it's more sluggish pace, eventually bored it's way into my affections. Every listen makes me love the album even more.

Written by Angelic Storm on 02.03.2014 at 09:52

For me, the only song the album could have done without, is the cover song "Dance With Somebody". Every other song has something about it which engages me as a listener and fan of this type of music. Be it the ultra infectious harmony riff in "Firestorm", the ferocious riff set which opens "Thunder In The Mountains", or the huge, atmospheric hooks which infest "Last Hero", every song has something to love about it. Even "Dragon King", which didn't hit me initially due to it's more sluggish pace, eventually bored it's way into my affections. Every listen makes me love the album even more.

It's true, there's nothing on here really poorly made. Even that cover seems fine enough, though I can't say how it compared to the original due to me not having listened to it... It's just that when I started listening, I was convinced this was intended to be a Rhapsody style storyline. Except with sci-fi. And waaaaaaaaay less cheese (Never change Luca). Then you get tracks like burning heart, dance with somebody, and fistraiser which just left me confused. Now I'm not really sure if that was the intent, might have just been to make a badass power metal album. Which I can definitely get behind, last year was definitely a disappointment in terms of heavy power metal.

Written by Darth Revan on 03.03.2014 at 03:55
It's true, there's nothing on here really poorly made. Even that cover seems fine enough, though I can't say how it compared to the original due to me not having listened to it... It's just that when I started listening, I was convinced this was intended to be a Rhapsody style storyline. Except with sci-fi. And waaaaaaaaay less cheese (Never change Luca). Then you get tracks like burning heart, dance with somebody, and fistraiser which just left me confused. Now I'm not really sure if that was the intent, might have just been to make a badass power metal album. Which I can definitely get behind, last year was definitely a disappointment in terms of heavy power metal.

Well... the first 5 Iron Savior albums were all tied together by a sci-fi concept. Since "Megatropolis", there have been songs written outwith that concept. Like on this new album, "Revenge Of The Bride" is very obviously a song about The Bride character from the "Kill Bill" movies. On the last few albums, most of the songs have been loose/stand alone songs, with maybe one or two songs that tie in with the concept of the first 5 albums.

Written by Angelic Storm on 01.03.2014 at 23:48

Already the gauntlet has been thrown down for power metal album of the year by Iron Savior! "Empire Of The Undead" is going to have to be totally stunning if Kai Hansen is going to usurp this amazing effort from his old bandmate Piet Sielck. Some wonderful old school metal and speed metal tracks are on offer here, which might just be the best album by Iron Savior yet! It is definitely the best album they've made since Kai Hansen left without a doubt, it's brilliant power metal all the way.

I was on the fence, but I need to hear this now

Been far too long since I've heard a good power metal album.

Written by Crème fraiche on 04.03.2014 at 02:09
I was on the fence, but I need to hear this now

Been far too long since I've heard a good power metal album.

I'm sure you won't be disappointed! I can't imagine any lover of power metal doing anything but loving this album. Piet Sielck is a power metal master, which shouldn't be surprising, seeing as he was in early incarnations of Helloween with his school friend Kai Hansen.

And yep... there's been precious few great power metal releases in recent years, but this certainly is one!

Written by Angelic Storm on 04.03.2014 at 08:21

Written by Crème fraiche on 04.03.2014 at 02:09
I was on the fence, but I need to hear this now

Been far too long since I've heard a good power metal album.

I'm sure you won't be disappointed! I can't imagine any lover of power metal doing anything but loving this album. Piet Sielck is a power metal master, which shouldn't be surprising, seeing as he was in early incarnations of Helloween with his school friend Kai Hansen.

And yep... there's been precious few great power metal releases in recent years, but this certainly is one!

yay!

Always kinda liked this band,interesting name for a band in track 07 -Iron Warrior.
Can't tell if there is any metal band by that name,is it?

The previous 2 albums were way better. Although I like this band, I didn't find anything so interesting in this album...

Written by Angelic Storm on 01.03.2014 at 23:48

Already the gauntlet has been thrown down for power metal album of the year by Iron Savior! "Empire Of The Undead" is going to have to be totally stunning if Kai Hansen is going to usurp this amazing effort from his old bandmate Piet Sielck.

Shit. I should start to read the comments in the albums before reviewing 'em.

Written by R Lewis on 25.03.2014 at 09:11
Shit. I should start to read the comments in the albums before reviewing 'em.

What difference would it have made to your review if you had read my comment first?

Written by Angelic Storm on 25.03.2014 at 09:24

What difference would it have made to your review if you had read my comment first?

"As expected, this new release has precisely zero originality, but confirms the value of the riff-based style that Iron Savior crafted through the years. With what's probably his best album in a decade, Piet Sielck throws down the gauntlet to his ex-mate Kai Hansen, now in Gamma Ray, for the power metal Album Of The Year."

I said exactly the same thing you did

Written by Angelic Storm on 25.03.2014 at 09:24

This proves that what I said a while back about you potentially making a great reviewer is accurate.

Written by R Lewis on 25.03.2014 at 09:28
I said exactly the same thing you did

Ah... Well, Gamma Ray's new album comes out in two days time, so we'll know soon enough whether Kai manages to best his old bandmate. lol

Written by Troy Killjoy on 25.03.2014 at 09:44
This proves that what I said a while back about you potentially making a great reviewer is accurate.

Coming from a great reviewer such as yourself, I take that as a huge compliment. I just wish I had more confidence in my review writing abilities. lol

And thanks.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 25.03.2014 at 09:44

This proves that what I said a while back about you potentially making a great reviewer is accurate.

And this, transitively, makes of me a great reviewer.

Yes, beotch.

Doesn't really do anything new with the Iron Savior sound, but the Iron Savior sound is still a good one. "Revenge of the Bride" is a killer track.

I have just listened it fourth or fifth times and still I don't remember anything I need to take rest and listen it again.

Written by Mountain King on 16.03.2014 at 18:21

The previous 2 albums were way better. Although I like this band, I didn't find anything so interesting in this album...

I revisited this album after a few years and I still think it's their worst. I'm being nice with a 6.

In 6 years i listened to the whole album maybe twice
it is really good, but at the end it is just more of the same, and i simply can't get myself to like this album, something is missing but i am not sure what...