Iron Mask: Masters Of Masters

In the words of Saxon’s Biff Byford when he was taunting a Glasgow, Scotland audience into ever louder mayhem inducing cheers as he told them who had been the loudest crowds on his band’s tour so far… “There’s fook all wrong wi’ Belgium!� And as though to prove the point comes another neo-classical metal burst of bombast from Belgians Iron Mask, one of two band’s to benefit from the guitar pyrotechnics of Dushan Petrossi, the other being Magic Kingdom.

It’s difficult to work out whether new singer Mike Slembrouck is Iron Mask singer number six, seven, eight or nine, what with some of his predecessors only being part of this outfit’s number for live shows and others mere guests, but that he follows the likes of Oliver Hartmann, Mark Boals and Diego Valdez means he has big shoes to fill. And cram them to capacity he does, the vocalist’s throaty roar a match for the full force histrionics at the core of Master Of Masters, this band’s seventh album, and first since 2016’s Diabolica.

That said, the focal point for Iron mask will always be Petrossi and his Malmsteen-esque fret outbursts, which it has to be said are convincing in the extreme. Fast, furious and full of fire, the manner in which he ramps up the intensity of “Tree Of The World�, “Dance With The Beast� or “Revolution Rise� never fails to impress. However, it might just be the insanely catchy “Never Kiss The Ring� where he and his band - Vassili Moltchanov (bass) and Ramy Ali (drums) - really hit the bull’s eye. Although I must admit that the slower “Mist Of Loch Ness� and mid-tempo “My One And Only� don’t fall too far behind.

There’s not much here, if anything, that you haven’t heard countless times before (the title track is basically a straight lift from modern era Iron Maiden), but with the rich voice of Slembrouck and technical mastery of Petrossi right at this album’s core, Master Of Masters can stand tall and proud on its own merits.

Track Listing
1. Never Kiss the Ring
2. Tree of the World
3. Revolution Rise
4. One Against All
5. Nothing Lasts Forever
6. Dance with the Beast
7. Wild and Lethal
8. Mist of Loch Ness
9. My One and Only
10. A Mother Loved Blue
11. Sagittarius A 01:42
12. Master of Masters

Added: June 16th 2021
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Iron Mask online
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Language: english

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