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Yet another band that I discovered thanks to the excellent Snakepit Magazine. This release is on Old Metal Records and the booklet is absolutely minimal: Some cover art on both sides of the front cover, and the track listing and a band’s picture with the members’ names on the back cover - no lyrics, credits or even year of release (re-release in this particular case.) That’s a little bit too minimal as far as packaging is concerned. At least the CD is packed with music (over 68 minutes, including 6 bonus demo tracks), so music-wise you get your money’s worth.

Iron Angel is a German thrash band that is pretty much up to par with countrymates Destruction, Kreator and Sodom (in fact they started around the same time) - all four bands sound nothing alike but the quality of the music is at comparable levels. This is 80’s thrash metal the way I like it. The vocals are sometimes a bit weak and take some time getting used to, but they’re definitely a grower after a few listens. The musical side however is an instant "yes!", very well-executed uncompromising Thrash metal with hints of NWOBHM in some riffs. Some songs are pretty catchy while some are just downright destructive. Any fan of the mid-80s speed/thrash scene should get a kick out of this excellent stuff.

The 6 bonus demo tracks are pretty good but expect a major drop in sound quality - some of those are from bad quality tapes. The music kills however, so that kind of makes up for it. :) I’m not sure if the album can be obtained other than directly from Old Metal Records and if there are any left for that matter. Highly recommended if you can find it.

Additional Information

- Originally released by Steamhammer in 1985
- Includes 6 bonus demo tracks