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Chicago's Ion Vein have been around for nearly 20 years and released a couple of full-lengths between 1999 and 2003. The band has changed direction fairly dramatically, replacing their prior Progressive Metal style with a straightforward, very heavy Traditional Metal sound. Their new label, Mortal Music, released their second digital-only EP, IV v2.0, in 2012, in an effort to get the "new" Ion Vein noticed.

Produced and mixed by the legendary Neil Kernon (Queensryche, Nevermore), IV v2.0 sees Ion Vein, with new vocalist Scott Featherstone, exploring ground first covered by bands like Jag Panzer. The bottom end is huge on IV v2.0 and can be felt as well as heard. Featherstone has a powerful voice that suits the mid-tempo riffing of "Seemless" and "Fools Parade." The band's Progressive roots creep back in on "This is Me" but not in an overpowering way. This is good stuff from Ion Vein but I don't hear anything that blows me away, just solid Traditional Metal. If the band has saved a couple of real corkers for IV v3.0 (and I'm guessing on the title, but it seems plausible) they might be on to something. If not, they will continue to be just another face in the crowd.