Ironflame is a heavy metal band from the USA formed in 2016 by multi-instrumentalist Andrew D’Cagna, releasing four albums to date – ‘Lightning Strikes The Crown’ (2017), ‘Tales Of Splender And Sorrow’ (2018), ‘Blood Red Victory’ (2020), and ‘Where Monsters Dwell’ released in 2022…
…once again featuring D’Cagna playing all instruments, and also handling the vocals! Heavily influenced by heavy metal legends Iron Maiden, D’Cagna has played in a number of bands throughout his career, with Ironflame, solely his own endeavor. The band’s new album is eight songs of unabashed, classic heavy metal – very much in the vein of Iron Maiden – and will have you head banging and singing along right from the start!
From the off the album is quickly into its stride, the galloping ‘Everlasting Fire’ a thundering opener that’ll turn heads and make fans of good old-fashioned heavy metal sit up and take notice. ‘Everlasting Fire’ is an attractive opening salvo that emits a “wow” sentiment, and a feeling of “I wanna hear more o’ this” – and hear more you will, with the faster-paced second salvo ‘Under The Spell’. Featuring more energy and more headbang ability than ‘Everlasting Fire’, ‘Under The Spell’ is a raucous Raven-like rampage…you remember Raven! The electrifying NWOBHM three-piece from the northeast of England set the early eighties alight with their electrifying speed-infused heavy metal.
‘Kingdom Of Lies’ comes to life with the most melodic intro heard so far, proceeding to become a chop fest, with guitar riff after guitar riff chopping furiously! And don’t forget the glorious sound of the NWOBHM – ‘Kingdom Of Lies’ echoing its iconic aural intensity.
With a more mid-tempo resonance and a strained – or should that be restrained – swagger, ‘A Funeral Within’ is a plodding stroll of heaviness, perfectly suited to a song with “funeral” in its title! You can just imagine the scene – a funeral procession gliding through the cemetery with ‘A Funeral Within’ playing in the hearse. And by stark contrast, ‘Ready To Strike’ crackles with electrifying energy – the pace incredible, the urgency phenomenal, and the head bang ability off the fucking charts! ‘Ready To Strike’ is a thundering slab of fabulous “foot on the monitor” styled heavy metal ala the great Iron Maiden – with D’Cagna never ever worried about comparisons to the pioneering metal outfit.
Adopting the more anthemic mid-tempo hard-hitting foot stomp, ‘The Phantom Flame’ resembles the power-driven style of legendary metallers Judas Priest – Ironflame taking a tour of the entire heavy metal genre, exploring every nook, cranny, and corner! So if you’re a fan of old-school heavy metal and bands such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Raven – ‘Where Madness Dwells’ (the album) is a must-have album for you. Blending all the styles featured on the album so far, ‘A Curse Upon Mankind’ is a majestic melodic march of gargantuan proportions. A hard-hitting yet infectious rumble of feisty heavy metal to tickle the aural senses. Simply splendid! Bringing the album to a close is the six-minute plus title song ‘Where Madness Dwells’ – a majestic epic very much in the vein of Iron Maiden, who are well known for ending many of their albums with epically long songs! ‘Where Madness Dwells’ (the song) features a majestic swagger – similar to ‘Maiden classics such as ‘Alexander The Great’ and ‘Powerslave’ – coupled with a cinematic style delivery. What a great ending to a very good album.
Overall, an album of classic-sounding heavy metal, highly melodic, heavily majestic, and insanely infectious.
TRACKLIST
Everlasting Fire
Under The Spell
Kingdom Of Lies
A Funeral Within
Ready To Strike
The Phantom Flame
A Curse Upon Mankind
Where Madness Dwells
Ironflame: Facebook
Release Year: 2022
Label: High Roller Records
Category: Album
Country: USA
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire, and Metal-Roos.
