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Eternal Champion keep getting better with every release, and that's a very good sign. I am always a bit suspicious of bands that are too good out of the gate, as they often lose steam or veer off into some kind of non-metal bullshit. But Eternal Champion seem to know exactly what kind of music they want to make, and their whole career so far has been a process of refining their sound until they get what they are going for. Armor of Ire was a solid debut, but I knew they could do better, and they have.

Ravening Iron is a distillation of all the influences the band have taken from classic metal, fermented into a retort of pure molten steel. Manowar, Liege Lord, Warlord, Omen, and even some Mercyful Fate are all welded together in the heavy, pounding riffage and the guitar tone that hits like a brick. Vocalist Jason Tarpey remains a highlight of the band, as his strong, clear voice makes the band immediately distinct. Tarpey has a haunting sound like Warlord's Damien King or Onward's Micheal Grant, but the mix puts him front and center and he is more than up to the job with some really strong vocal melodies that make these songs instantly memorable. You will find yourself singing along with the title track and "War at the Edge of the End" before the songs are even over, and this is a very consistent disc, with A-grade tunes all the way to the end. I doubt anyone else this year will make a True Metal album as good as Ravening Iron.