Ironwood - Storm Over Sea

When it comes to folk metal, there is seemingly no place that is immune from this metal genre.  From traditional places like Sweden and Germany to places where one wouldn’t even think of as having metal music like China and India, folk metal isn’t going away anytime soon.  Consider the Australian duo that makes up the band Ironwood.  Formed in 2005, they made a name for themselves in 2009 with their debut :Fire:Water:Ash:.  Now, Ironwood is back with their follow-up in Storm Over Sea.

Looking at the eight tracks that make up Storm Over Sea and the overall time of the album, it becomes immediately clear that listening to Ironwood will be a task onto itself.  The primarily acoustic folk sound that Ironwood uses is combined with elements that most progressive metal bands employ.  Half of the tracks run over the seven-minute mark, with three of them (“Infinite Sea,” “Weather the Storm,” and “A Bond to Sever”) going over the eleven minute mark.  Vocals on the album are reminiscent of Vintersorg, particularly when it comes to the clean style.  The songs themselves show a lot of promise, but one potential problem that it encounters is one of length.  In no way does it make the album bad, but Storm Over Sea does present a challenge when it comes to trying to figure out what is on the album, especially those unfamiliar with the progressive metal genre.  The reverse is true for progressive metal fans who haven’t figured out the charms of the folk metal genre.  So, in a sense, there is something for everyone, both good and bad; it’s a matter of being able to have the time and patience to take it all in and deciding what to take from it.  As for how Ironwood combines the two genres, they utilize both styles solidly, but they play neither one greatly.

Ironwood has proven to be a challenge when it comes to categorization, and the same can be said for being able to understand and appreciate their music.  Overall, Storm Over Sea is a nice introduction to the band for those unfamiliar with the band, just have lots of patience with the album.  There’s much to get through and with a running time of just under an hour, Ironwood wants to share everything they have with the listener, so it would be wise to take to the couch, pour some hot tea or other beverage, and relax to the sounds of Ironwood.

Release Date: December 1, 2010
Label: Band Self Released

TRACK LISTING

1.  Hail Sing
2.  Infinite Sea
3.  Arctic Tern
4.  Weather the Storm
5.  Share the Burden
6.  Will to Live
7.  A Bond to Sever
8.  When It’s All Over

Total playing time:  55:43

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*Comments:

Reviewer: Peter

January 31, 2011