IRON GRIFFIN
“CURSE OF THE SKY”
Album Review by Piers Renfree

9/10

Yesterday, my neighbour and I spent a day out at Skeggy (Skegness, it’s a seaside town in the UK, for those of you who don’t reside here and have not heard of it) and so today, I am chilling out and reviewing the second, self-released offering (via Bandcamp) from the Finnish one man band, Iron Griffin.

Iron Griffin is the brainchild of Oskari Räsänen who writes the music & lyrics, produced & mixed the songs, did the album’s impressive artwork – well I like it – plays instruments and supplies backing vocals (rumours that the man sleeps have not been verified). For this record, Oskari has been joined by Maija Tiljander (who supplies the lead vocals), F.F. Niemen (synthesizers) and Kasperi Puranen (acoustic guitar).

Mastered by Collin Jordan, the seven songs here last 30:48. The production is raw, rough and ready, which adds to the charm of the album – it gives it a 1960’s/early 1970’s feel and you can imagine the band around the time of the first Led Zeppelin, early Judas Priest and the original Black Sabbath line-up.

Maija Tiljander’s vocals are clean and Kasperi Puranen’s acoustic guitar added into the heavy metal mix, gives a feel of prog rock influences. In the third song we get some Medieval/Renaissance inspired chords (a nod to Jethro Tull, or maybe Richie Blackmore in Blackmore’s Night), whilst in the final song, we get some flute, alongside the acoustic guitar (again possible Jethro Tull, or even Genesis influence there).

This is a fantastic album, heartily recommended.

TRACKLIST

Prelude
Reign Of Thunder
Forgotten Steel
Lost Legion
Curse Of The Sky
Dawn Of Struggle
To The Path Of Glory

https://irongriffin.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/irongriffinmetal/

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