Iron Savior

Interlude (Noise)
by Scott Hefflon

Interlude, we’re told, is just that: a tide-me-over (that’s tide, bio-writer at Noise, not tied) record to satisfy Iron Savior fans’ appetite ’til the new full-length comes out summer of ’00. Odd thing is that the five live tracks come before the four new tracks, when it’s usually done the other way around. But the bonus cover, Judas Priest’s classic, “Desert Plains,” is the final cut, so that, at least, makes sense. It also strikes me as funny that a band with only two records out (’97’s self-titled and ’99’s Unification) has a “live greatest hits” record, even if combined with an EP of new material. But then again, no one asked me…

Iron Savior, for those who’re still catching this new wave of heavy metal/powermetal (whichever phrase you can say in public above a whisper), is Piet Sielck (producer of Blind Guardian, Rage, Gamma Ray, and member of Helloween really, really early on), Kai Hanson (Gamma Ray, ex-Helloween), and various other members of Gamma Ray (or not, who really cares?). The important thing, I think, is that the new songs are as filled with guitar tomfoolery and vocal harmonies as ever, and if you can overlook the disco beat to “Stonecold” and the band’s penchant for writing about spaceships, ancient civilizations, time fluxes, and silly shit like that, Iron Savior rules, dude!
(12358 Ventura Blvd. #386 Studio City, CA 91604)