Search - Iron Savior :: Battering Ram

Yield To The Battering Ram Of The Iron Savior

Ken Pierce | Brooklyn,, NY USA | 12/31/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"From www.MaximumMetal.com



This CD starts off with a bang that instantly gets you into the groove of the music. While Iron Savior has been around for a few albums already I have not had any exposure to them so I was not certain what to expect from them with this release. However, loading "Battering Ram" into the CD player did not give me any disappointment. One thing that stands out on this CD in particular is that it is a definite homage to the early power metal that came before it. Heavy tracks with excellent guitars and drums and vocal lines that make you raise your voices and fists into the air. There are also a wide variety of styles going through the piece, not all numbers are fast. One or two of them have a Judas Priest feel while others could be a Motley Crue track if done by those bands. Not bad comparisons.



Standout tracks for me are definitely the first three numbers on the CD. The lineup for this release is Piet Sielck (guitar, lead vocals), Yenz Leonhardt (bass & backing vocals), Joachim "Piesel" Küstner (guitars & backing vocals), Thomas Nack (drums & percussion). The vocals don't lose a step throughout the whole piece and the backups prompt you to sing along. The guitar work is clean and enjoyable. Not over the top with lead riffs, only where they are best suited. The drumming is steady and rumbles throughout. A nice clean production overall.



I mentioned earlier how I was not educated in the back catalog. This does not change the high number I have given this CD. It is good enough for the new listener and a must have for the die hard fan. This is also a great piece for someone who is looking for a solid piece of metal to enjoy. Noise records has been doing some good for the forces of metal and this is another good one. Check it out.

"

What happened to the IRON SAVIOR?

Pablosa | Buenos Aires, Capital Federal Argentina | 09/15/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I've been an Iron Savior fan since they released their first album. Now it's the time for their new-brand-2004 album "Battering Ram". What the title in the review says is what surprised me most of this record. What happened to the Calderans, Atlantis, the bio-unit and all the imaginary world in the Iron Savior story, that has delighted us release after release?. Where have the drawings of spaceships and artworks of intergalactical wars gone? I don't know. There is no trace in this record of THE Iron Savior (the vessel), what is really surprising, because it has been the band's basement. Lyrically and musically, the album is 100% the usual Iron Savior. Catchy choruses, screaming guitar-riffing and punishing drums, in charge of the always-reliable Thomas Nack, along with the pounding sound typically of power metal and Iron Savior.



Now let's go to the 3-star deal. I'm terribly sorry to disagree with the other reviewer. I think the album lacks of good ideas. It's a little repetitive sometimes. It's a good record. But after listening to it, I felt that Piet Sielck could have given a lot more creatively speaking. There are lost of cliches in the album, that will remind you songs from their previous releases. And the repetition before mentioned is not along the album, but along their career. Piet couldn't manage to deliver an album full of fresh, new and innovative ideas. He did his job and that's it, period.

And it has nothing to do with Kai Hansen's departure. Because, ironically, when Kai left the band, Iron Savior released one of their best albums "Condition Red". But Kai never contributed much to the band though, except for a couple of songs and solos. All the job has always been in Piet's hands.



The lyrics talk about Iron Savior usual topics: wars, machines, freedom, robots, heavy metal and stuff, except for the IRON SAVIOR that is not mentioned anywhere. The music? Don't get me wrong. Is a good album in general. But if you look back to what they've done in the past, "Battering Ram" sounds like a repetition of their previous releases.



The album combines high and low points. The highest ones would be "Time will tell", with a great chorus and "Riding free", very powerful and intense, which I think should have been the opening song of the album. Then, I'd recommend the last two songs "Machine World", a slow-paced song with cool riffs in the background, and "H.M.Powered Man", the album's hymn to heavy metal. On the other hand, you have songs, that shine for their lack of brilliance like "Wings of Deliverance", " Break the curse" or "Starchaser", sounding a little dull sometimes.



I'm the kind of fan that asks for more on every release, so that's why I had my expectations so up high after "Condition Red". The simplicity in the booklet, the fact that the album has only 10 songs (we are used to 12 or 13 songs; and the number of songs had nothing to do with the quality of the music; in this case the quality of compositions does not compensate the lack of songs) makes me feel a little disappointed, because it could have been better, and when I push play on my cd player, it hurts me to go directly to the fourth song "Time will tell". Could you imagine doing that in "Condition Red" or "Unification", missing anthems sich as "Titans of our time", or "Coming home"?. Of course not.



What does this album have that we hadn't heard before?.

I'm afraid "Battering Ram" sounds like a compilation of old riffs, with scarce moments of their remarkable brilliance. I take it as a huge bad step, giving them credit and hoping the next one to be a better album than this one. As I said before, I stay with "Condition Red" or "Unification"."

Metalic Masters of Power Metal

moronmission | Oxnard, CA | 11/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Contrary to what many have said this CD more than lives up to Iron Savior's previous works, in fact I would say Battering Ram displays how they have matured. If I were to rate individual songs I would award them point thusly:

1.) Battering Ram 8.5/10 A nice opening track, that pulls you in.

2.) Stand Against the King 9/10 Great track about, well quite obviously overthrowing a tyrannical king.

3.) Tyranny of Steel 8/10 This song reminds me of the Matrix in that Humans have become enslaved by Machines

4.) Time Will Tell 10/10 A great fast song that demonstrates their skill.

5.) Wings of Deliverance 9/10 A slower song, that is nonetheless great.

6.) Break the Curse 7/10 This is Probably my least favorite song on the CD, though it has some nice solo work.

7.) Riding Free 10/10 My favorite song on the album, it's a very fast song about breaking free from this world of terror and violence.

8.) Starchaser 9.5/10 This is another great song typical to Iron Savior.

9.) Machine World 8/10 This is song is a little darker sounding that their previous songs.

10.) H.M. Powered Man 9/10 A very nice closing track, about the singer/guitarist's destiny to play Metal.



Overall this is a great album, one of their best in my opinion, and displays their immense skill at writing power metal songs."