Review IRON SAVIOR “Deathbringer”

There’s no doubt that Iron Savior are among the long-established names in German power metal. Since forming in 1996, Piet Sielck and his fellow musicians have delivered a steady run of quality albums spanning more than three decades. They’ve never felt the need to overhaul their winning formula, but have continued to refine and develop it over the years. Every now and then, as on Awesome Anthems of the Galaxy, the band has also taken a detour into different territories, giving well-known pop classics the Iron Savior treatment. It’s a reminder that these metal veterans work professionally, don’t always take themselves too seriously.

With Deathbringer, the band now returns with a new studio album, continuing its journey through the fast-paced world of power metal. Three years after Firestar, Iron Savior once again show why they remain a reliable force in the German heavy metal scene.

Following the dramatic intro “Shadows of Neverness,” the title track gets straight down to business. “Deathbringer” is heavy, fast, and built to hit hard from the start. There’s no room for half measures here. What comes blasting out of the speakers is straightforward, well-crafted heavy metal. The driving groove and big chorus are familiar trademarks of Piet Sielck and his bandmates, and both are very much present throughout the album.

“Light in the Dark” operates in similar territory, pushing the tempo even further. “The Creature’s Tale,” on the other hand, takes a more mid-paced approach. Alongside the roaring guitars, Patrick Opitz’s bass provides a solid foundation and plays an important part in shaping the song.

It hardly matters where you drop the needle: Iron Savior deliver the goods from start to finish. Whether it’s a three-minute headbanger like “To Boldly Go” or the more epic “Dawn of Deliverance,” the band sticks to what it does best. The latter stands out in particular thanks to its well-arranged chorus, a familiar feature of the Iron Savior sound since the early days, now given a fresh lease of life. There are even moments on “Dawn of Deliverance” when those vocal arrangements bring Queen to mind.

Tracks like the stomping “Gunslinger” are an open invitation to bang your head, with a sound rooted firmly in the ’80s. “Forever and a Day,” meanwhile, brings back the more bombastic side of the band’s sound. The album also includes two bonus tracks, “No Deal” and “Fever.” The latter should be of particular interest to metal fans, as it’s a cover of the Judas Priest classic. Iron Savior stay fairly close to the original, but put enough of their own stamp on it to make the track an enjoyable addition.

If it says Iron Savior on the cover, you know what you’re getting. That pretty much sums up Deathbringer. Piet Sielck and his band have built a solid track record over the years, and this new album fits right into that story. No major surprises, no unnecessary experiments – just focused, powerful metal delivered with the confidence of a band that knows exactly what it does best.

Fans of well-crafted, hard-hitting metal should definitely give Deathbringer a spin.