A review of Ironhawk "Ritual of the Warpath"

 

Ironhawk

"Ritual of the Warpath"

Dying Victims 2022

Here we have another slap in the face for oldies from Dying Victims Productions, in the form of the debut album from Australian Ironhawk. The band has been around for a decade, and if we look at their photo, it would probably never come to mind to anyone that these gentlemen (plus a lady) are making some old school metal. Dyed spiked hair could be associated with followers of GGH or Sexpistols, rather than the blend we find on "Ritual of the Warpath". And this is a fucking explosive mixture. At the same time, it is a fucking classic, known and adored by people who, even though they have already turned 40, never got bored with real, wild metal. So, without unnecessary shit about unnecessary things, imagine a mixture of early Bathory, Venom, Motorhead and German thrash, like Sodom for instance. Are you salivating like Pawlow's dog? Very fucking rightly, because these ten songs are nothing more than the cult of such playing. Of music that is still alive thanks to freaks like the Australian trio. What do we not have here? Lively gallops with a bit of rock'n'roll, shuffling, catchy, yet very aggressive riffs, with absolutely no fillers, only real metal. The motolity of Ironhawk's music can be associated with a well-oiled engine that pushes forward, purring pleasantly and making the hair-pulling wind all we need. Speeding with "Ritual of the Warpath" is like a ride on forgotten, partially overgrown roads, reminding us how uncle Kazik first transported us on the tank of his rusty motorbike at full speed, which then caused us an amazing rush of adrenaline. The Ironhawk is like a time machine. They serve all the best that has already been in music and which left its mark on many of its genres. And the best thing is that this material sounds as if it was recorded forty years ago. Raw, dirty and sloppy. But, lest you think that everything here is cheap and predictable from start to finish (although most of it is indeed),. There are also small flavors, for example in the form of minimalist keyboard parts in "Escape From the Void", which are still a bit of surprise. Finally, there is also an instrumental piece that is a perfect summary of the band's technical skills. And there is no need to say more. You can hear that the recording of this material gave the Australians a lot of fun, so how can I, as a maniac of antiques, feel disappointed with them? No way. For me, this is the first class album.

- jesusatan