His Name Was Iron – Chariots For Hire
Southern rock is a genre that, like every other genre, hasn’t managed to stay pure. You ask some people what southern rock is and they’ll shout out Lynyrd Skynyrd and Pantera (or even the dreaded Nickelback) to name a few. But as modern rock rose to the fore, older, purer, bands began to be replaced by hybrids. Today, southern rock encompasses a wide ranging set of bands and musical styles. Everyone from Norma Jean to Once Nothing to Maylene and the Sons of Disaster are called, by some, southern.
His Name Was Iron follows a southern mold with a big heaping of modern hardcore. These Jack Daniels fueled Floridians have brought a grooving record filled with both melodic and thrashy moments. These guys have a serious Every Time I Die vibe and trust me, that isn’t a bad thing at all. These guys often start their songs with a sick southern groove that will make everyone want to move. Between the lead vocalist and the back up vocalist they have quite a range. Sometimes I swear I am listening to Every Time I Die or He Is Legend. And then they’ll throw in a group chant or brutal scream to truly bring them into their own.
The real hook here is the grooving guitars, although the vocals are nothing to sneer at either. Every song features both guitar riffs you can really rock out to and vocals that make you want to sing along or yell at the top of your lungs, depending on the song. The drums are tight and the bassist actually stands out instead of blending into the mix.
His Name Was Iron has crafted an album that truly grabbed me and didn’t let me go. I found myself looping it for multiple listens. The album isn’t perfect, but for a debut is pretty close. I also want to say that they don’t take themselves too seriously. They are here to make good music and have some fun. They have a subtle sense of humor. They even drop a Disturbed reference. (Track number two is entitled, “Down With the Thickness.) They have crafted an album that should be included on any summer playlist. This is the kind of music you want to listen to with friends, drinking something cold, and smoking a nice cigar out in the sun with your closest friends.
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11 Comments
August 12th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Nice review man! This album is awesome, every song is somewhat good. Sick album art too.
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August 12th, 2010 at 5:03 pm
Sounds a little like ETID indeed. New southern metal-bands are always fun.
The band members look pretty creepy though.
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August 12th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Who on earth says Nickelback is Southern rock? Please point me in their direction so I can smack them. That is a disgrace to the South.
Good review though. Not bad from what I've heard!
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Luke Amos replied:
August 12th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Trust me I hate Nickelback as much as any decent guy. But some people…
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August 12th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
AWESOME REVIEW for an AWESOME BAND! I can't get enough of this album. Some of the vocal melodies remind me of Nonpoint for some odd reason.
It was recorded at the same place the MINDSLIP album was, so the production is almost flawless.
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Luke Amos replied:
August 12th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
I loved this record. It's distracting me from my next review lol
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August 12th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Everyone should check this out. It's fun.
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Josh replied:
August 12th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Nice, concise review, hun.
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August 13th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Dude, I thought this was gonna suck, but it's actually really awesome. However, it does sound a little too much like Every Time I Die. It has it's moments, but for the most part this band wear their influences more than just on their sleeves. More like white jumpsuits that have "Every Time I Die" in giant red letters written vertically from head to toe, but the music still sounds good regardless. Great production, too. Hopefully, His Name Was Iron will keep getting better and seperate themselves from their influence(s). I'm always hoping that new bands will evolve in exciting and new ways instead of steadily declining to their death. I can dream…
Good review, Luke
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Luke Amos replied:
August 14th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
New Junk Aesthetic is one of my all time favorite albums so I don't mind them having a ton of ETID influences lol
Thanks for reading
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Nitrohippie replied:
August 18th, 2010 at 5:55 pm
Oh, I don't either. I love Every Time I Die, don't get me wrong. I just have this naive wish that ETID was the only band that sounded like them. Dumb, I know
I just get a little snobby when bands are overwhelmed by their influences. And, yes, I agree that New Junk Aesthetic is a fantastic record! My fav from them is still The Big Dirty. I'll have to pull out New Junk Aesthetic again because I don't think I have given that one the proper amount of spins yet.
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