What the ---? All I can assume is that the Metal Gods are either extremely pleased with me for running Metal Month (unlikely; I doubt they're readers) or are distracted by something, because the VERY FIRST random band I select this week turns out to be not only a power metal one, but one that
has a discography! Now, hold on: I'm a little confused. It says they're unsigned .... oh wait: independent too. All right, so they released all their own material. That's allowed. Who are they? Oh yeah...
meet "Between the Lines". No, not the most metal of names, and not a name you'd associate with this sort of music if you heard it out of context, but as one of the other sections in my journal asks, what's in a name? Originally conceived as Burning Pyre (MUCH more metal!) they were formed in 1994, but seem to have only released two demos under that name before being resurrected in 1996 as Between the Lines, or BTL. Under this name they released their debut album, but according to their bio they were "brought back to life" in 2003, so I guess we can assume "Step high", released in 1998, did not exactly set the world alight.
Now, we come to something of a recurring problem. With the band being unsigned there is nothing on Spotify or Grooveshark for them, and YouTube comes up empty. Even my attempt to buy an album from my usual vendor is thwarted, so I suppose it's time to move on. These guys were German, by the way. But if there's no music to listen to then we can't feature them. So for I guess the third time it's a no-show for BTL!
Perhaps the Metal Gods weren't so blind after all. They will have their little joke, won't they?
Yes they will.
Next up is
who are, like our delightful thrashers of last week, Violator, from Brazil, but they too are unsigned. So, can we find any music from them out there on t'web? Let's see: Spotify? No. Grooveshark? No - oh wait a sec! No albums, no, but they seem like they might have two tracks, which is better than nothing. Let's just check YouChoob... yeah I think I see one or two. All right then, let's
do this thing!
Band name: Iron Woods
Nationality: Brazilian
Subgenre: Pagan/Black Metal
Born: 2001
Status: Active
Albums: Ancient faith (2004) Journey to the paganism (2008)
Live albums: None
Collections/Boxed Sets/Anthologies: None
Lineup: Holykran (Vocals, Guitars, Keyboards, Flute (
flute??)
Hammer (Bass)
Guerriera Nox (Drums)
(Again, I can't get too much information and their own website is in Portugeuse, and from what I can gather seems more interested in explaining what their band name means than anything about the members other than macho pictures of them standing looking menacing with axes and swords, so I guess with three members chances are they all founded the band. Maybe.)
Describing their music, apparently, as "Pagan Battle Metal", there's not much else I can tell you about these guys, due to the language barrier, but they do have two albums so let's have a listen to what we can. Incidentally, wouldn't you think a guy who chooses Hammer as his pseduonym would be a drummer??
OK hold on just a minute: there is rather a lot of YT about them, so I wonder if I can cobble together a full album? Hmm. Let's see. Okay then. All except one track. That'll do. Pity it's the title but hey ho, there ya go!
The journey to the paganism --- Iron Woods --- 2008 (Self-released)
Well, leaving aside the fact that the title doesn't make proper sense --- these guys are Brazilian after all --- the album opens on "Battle glory", with the sound of wind, horses' hooves and a dark chant of some sort, with moody synthesiser in the background low but beginning to swell. Then the vocal literally screams at you and the guitars and percussion kick in, taking us on a heavy ride into what would probably be better termed Viking Metal. Can't make out the lyrics at all, another vocalist who uses death metal techniques, but I had a clue from the "black metal" tag. Oh well. The guitars riff well and set up a very decent melody, unlike our friends Violator from the previous session. Oh wait, about halfway through the vocal gets much more distinct, dropping down several octaves. Whether it's our pal Holykran or not I don't know but I really prefer that vocal. Doesn't last of course.
Ah wait a minute! This song is over ten minutes long! Oh dear. What about the other tracks? Well mostly they're pretty long, with another one clocking in at eleven minutes, though I suppose I should thank my lucky stars because there is a TWENTY-SIX-MINUTE one, but it's the title, which I haven't been able to find, possibly because it overruns the time limit for YouTube. Saved by the rules! Decent dark keyboard line coming in here now, really adds something to the song as it slides into an instrumental section with some muttered spoken words. If you didn't get it from the sound of crows cawing at the start of the next track, it's "Twilight of the ravens", with a heavy pounding guitar and more unintelligible vocals. Ah but soon the more understandable vocal takes over and the song improves for a short while.
"Samhain night" (pronounced "sow-un") is up next, and starts with , of all things, an acoustic guitar intro and my preferred vocal with some soft lush keyboard work from Holykran, then it kicks up in tempo and he screams his way through the track, though the other vocal is still singing too. Birdsong, droning synth and, er, flute open "Amantikir", with some choral vocals on the keys. Yeah well I'm not fooled guys. Even though the synth is now rising into a higher octave, I'm just waiting for the blastbeats from the drums and the punching guitars and there they are. No surprise at this point. Nice opening though. At least the "good" vocal is carrying this and it's very listenable, trundling along at a reasonable pace, and in about the fifth minute of the seven that it runs for it falls away to single acoustic guitar, more birdsong and surely that flute is coming back in? Um, no. Back into hard guitar riffs and galloping drums. Still, at least "Mister Screamy" didn't make an appearance. Favourite track so far.
Next up is "Hail beer" (can't argue with that) with acoustic guitar and a deep, almost Nick Cavesque vocal, then fast screaming guitar and hammering drums as the song takes off with a sort of beer chant --- this must go down great at gigs. Great fun. "Sons of mother Earth" has more birdsong and flute --- not sure if these guys are serious or if this is meant to be a pisstake but that guy sure can play the flute --- low humming keyboards and soft percussion till the guitar breaks in and the keyboard goes into a kind of organ sound, the beat a slow march, powerful and dramatic. Then it picks up in tempo and again we have the "good" vocal, which I wish they'd just leave as the main vocal. So much easier on the ear.
Now it's slowed down and the flute is back, soon joined by a much slower, grindier guitar and ponderous drumming, increasing in tempo a little until it all comes together nicely for a decent conclusion, the flute still in the mix there. As I say, the title track is next and it's the epic, but I can't find it anywhere so I can't feature it here. There, as they say, endeth the album.
TRACKLISTING
1. Battle glory
2. The twilight of the ravens
3. Samhain night
4. Amantikir
5. Hail beer
6. Sons of mother Earth
7. Journey to the paganism
Once you get past, or preferably, as in the last few tracks, exclude, the screaming hoarse vocal of Holykran, this band are pretty damn fine. Their music is certainly a mix between mid-to-fast Viking Metal and some sort of new-age metal, if such a thing exists. The use of flute and keyboards, and the taped birdsong in some of the tracks is quite innovative and lends to the idea of a paganist, naturalist sort of band who just happen to rock like anything. I'm not that sure I'd listen to their other album without a good reason, but I certainly didn't hate this.
