THE FERRYMEN
“Iron Will”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

The Ferrymen are an internationally based power metal band formed in 2016, releasing four albums to date – ‘The Ferrymen’ (2017), ‘A New Evil’ (2019), ‘One More River To Cross’ (2022), and ‘Iron Will’ (2025).

Boasting a star-studded line-up featuring guitarist Magnus Karlsson (Magnus Karlsson’s Free Fall, Primal Fear), vocalist Ronnie Romero (Lords Of Black, Destinia, Elegant Weapons), and drummer Mike Terrana (ex Axel Rudi Pell, ex Master Plan, ex Rage), The Ferrymen return with their fourth album in eight years – ‘Iron Will’ taking “the classic heavy metal sound and combining it with heavier, updated songwriting textures and arrangements” comment the band. For fifty four fabulous minutes and eleven songs, The Ferrymen give every listener top shelf melodic power metal with an immense infectious level – the elegant ‘Choke Hold’ slow burning into life, winding its way to a crescendo where after the one minute mark the band fully open their locker and out pours some of the heaviest yet most melodic heavy come power metal I’ve heard this year! The band are magnificent here, brimming with intense passion and drive as ‘Mother Unholy’ maintains the elegance ‘Iron Will’ began with – albeit at a mid tempo ground shuddering pace! The oomph oozing outta ‘Mother Unholy’ is incredible, The Ferrymen delivering an opening brace from opposite sides of metal territory.

The title song ‘Iron Will’ is majestic, upping the tempo to become an energetic and lively romp of melodic power metal with an infectious level higher than the sky – I just can’t see anyone not opening their mouth in awe of the terrific opening threesome! I can if you’re deaf or dead, but other than that, man what’s wrong with you! The band have everyone’s attentions held tight with absolutely no intention of letting ’em go, ‘Above It All’ thundering into sight, The Ferrymen pounding the ground with an immense amount of force to send shockwaves rippling all around the world – and out of this world too, every satellite up in space sent spiralling outta orbit! And with an almighty injection of pace, power and purpose, ‘Adrenaline’ roars loud with one foot firmly planted on the monitor to send every listener, fan, follower, metaller and mosher around the world fucking mental – the level of head bang ability shooting right through the roof! A blistering barrage of heavy/power metal perfection, ‘Adrenaline’ is gonna be played time and time again by everyone – it’s a sensational song!

The first half of the album has been tremendous, one hundred percent infectious and jaw dropping to the max – the second half opening with the energy driven ‘Darkest Storm’, a hint of progressive power metal coming to the surface as The Ferrymen pound the ground the hardest ‘Iron Will’ (the album) has offered! So hard in fact, every listener is gonna be slammed right through the floor and into the fucking basement, the power oozing outta the album right now greater than the power of the Sun – the band hotter than the Sun right now too! And with balladry bringing ‘Dreams And Destiny’ to life, the album takes on a mellow feel not heard before, the immense range of singer Ronnie Romero more than capable of a soulful swagger alongside his more usual melodic metal roar, further reinforcing the widespread belief that Romero is the best singer around at the moment! And probably the last few years as well to be honest – ‘Dust To Dust’ hitting the hardest of any song on offer to knock planet Earth into a new orbit! The level of thunder, fire and brimstone fuelling ‘Dust To Dust’ is phenomenal, The Ferrymen must have access to an unlimited supply, the international trio pulling all their resources into one gigantic ball of endless energy!

I just can’t stress how fucking good this album is, Album Of The Year material for sure, ‘The Darkness That Divides’ powering outta the blocks at a red hot pace, the band dropping a couple of gears to resume their penchant for gear changing tempo changing majesty – The Ferrymen not content to stay in just the one corner of metal territory, the band visiting every corner to deliver a very wide array of metal music! An array that’s not over yet – there’s still two more songs to come! The first of which ‘Mind Games’, exemplifies progressive power metal, the band weaving an element of traditional heavy metal in there too, the mesmerising journey that is ‘Iron Will’ (the album) simply getting better and better – this is one album that’s gonna remain on listener’s playlists for a long time to come! And bringing the album to a close, ‘You’re The Joker’ ends ‘Iron Will’ (the album) as it began, in a blaze of top shelf melodic heavy come power metal with intense passion and drive.

Overall, a sensational melodic power metal album full to the brim with an infectious array of majestic and elegant songs.

TRACKLIST

Choke Hold
Mother Unholy
Iron Will
Above It All
Adrenaline
Darkest Storm
Dreams And Destiny
Dust To Dust
The Darkness That Divides
Mind Games
You’re The Joker

https://www.facebook.com/TheFerrymenofficial/

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