Iron Griffin are known for their retro metal style, and their ability to harness classic influences with modern playing styles. Their debut release, entitled Iron Griffin shows this with the classic album cover, of the Griffin and the Knight, the music more than lives up to the hype as well.
The intro is a one minute and forty-seven seconds long and invokes the feeling of stepping into a sci-fi movie, something that inevitably makes one wonder where the record is going to go. The where is answered quickly enough with Message From Beyond providing harmonised guitars, psychedelic vocal lines and bass parts, alongside the haunting melodies interwoven throughout the song. Metal Conquest brings syncopated rhythms to play and is a school rocker. Journey To The Castle Of The King starts of slow and thoughtful, but quickly moves into a higher temp, bringing trills, solid bass, and all-out heaviness. Lord Inquisitor, the final track on the record, is a monster of a song from start to finish, there is something about it that just makes it stick in the mind.
With their debut release, Iron Griffin have carved a new niche for themselves. No pretentions, no repetition of similar well trodden ideas, their music is fresh, their vocal lines are fresh, and they are fresh. This album is a strong showing, and as such, it bodes well for the future. 10/10.