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This is where it all started, back when these guys were nothing more than a studio project between the German dream team of Kai Hansen, Thomen Stauch and mastermind Piet Sielck. Obviously this wouldn't be their only release; thankfully we've been given a string of brilliant albums from these guys (albeit with various line-up changes). Well in case you've been living under a rock for the past 12 years, Iron Savior play balls-to-the-wall Heavy Metal with Power Metal touches, raging drum-work and absolutely wild guitar solos, with a solid back-bone of truly great riffs. Now Iron Savior and the subsequent release following up until Dark Assault have a slight difference in sound when compared to their current material (without Kai). I prefer their first three albums as I feel Piet and Kai work very well together, being on of my favorite guitar duos around. We also see a few guest appearances on Iron Savior namely Hansi Kürsch and Dirk Schlächter.

After a pretty cool spacey intro album opener "Atlantis Falling" kicks out with a belting riff, featuring the characteristic vocal delivery that really sets Iron Savior apart from the rest of the German scene (especially at the time). From hear onwards the pace never really lets up until we hit the only clinker of the album; the ultimately boring ballad "Break It Up". However tracks such as "Brave New World" and a personal favorite in the title track make it very easy to forgive the ballad. I'd like to elaborate a little more on the title track, with an awesome riff that has a distinct 80's feel to it (which could be down to the fact some of this material had originally been written in the 80's) and an absolutely brilliant chorus that's both catchy and a little cheesy. It's not until the latter half of the album that we hit the proper gold, tracks we would never hear the likes of again from Iron Savior such as "Assailant" and another highlight "Children of the Wasteland". Gamma Ray fans will no doubt be already familiar with the awesome "Watcher In The Sky"; however it's not exactly the same track as playing both back to back you can notice the (slight) differences – although the Iron Savior version is preferable. The final track on the album "This Flight Tonight" is a cover of the Nazareth song, and it's actually really enjoyable. I've found that I quite enjoy most of the Iron Savior covers.

This is one of those albums that deserve a place in any serious Heavy Metal fans collection, and why shouldn't it? With unique vocals that are utterly sublime, furious solos and glorious riffs this is how metal should be. Iron Savior are one of the more reliable acts and certainly the flagship for how German Metal should be done these days. Dust off your leather pants, tune up your air guitar and play this loud. Highly Recommended