Iron Mask – Master Of Masters

Iron Mask
Master Of Masters
AFM Records
December 4, 2020
01:01:01

Four years ago,[RK1]  I was able to experience the band live, as support for Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody. Half a year later, the last album to date, “Diabolica”, was released. In the band’s history, this was album number six. After a break of more than four years, the fans can look forward to a new output from the Belgians. It’s been eighteen years since guitarist Dushan Petrossi (Magic Kingdom) founded Iron Mask as a side project. Bassist Vassili Moltchanov has been with him since the beginning. And drummer Ramy Ali has been loyal to the band for ten years. The only new addition to the album is singer Mike Slembrouck. An amazing consistency in the lineup.

Dushan managed to write his best material ever and the twelve songs have that perfect combination of pure metal, easy-listening feel with progressive touches, beautiful orchestrations with virtuos playing and catchy melodies.

So, you can read in the press release. That makes you curious, of course.

The album starts epic with “Never Kiss The Ring”. New singer Mike Slembrouck is doing a good job. Mastermind Dushan Petrossi has shown a fine hand. Thanks to the high speed, the rhythm section is more decisive and not the orchestral samples. And that’s just as well. The guitar master himself shines again and again with great guitar work but does not shift into the focus as e.g. an Yngwie Malmsteen. With “Tree Of The World” and “Revolution Rise” some metal anthems follow, which are rounded off by choruses. That guarantees that the fans will sing along live. “One Against All”, who doesn’t know the feeling. Despite the Teuton-Steel introduction, the song is more in the mid-tempo range. In contrast, “Nothing Lasts Forever” is a high-speed parforce ride. And that with just over nine minutes of playing time. Then the quartet needs a little breathing space. To do this, they postpone the mid-tempo anthem “Dance With The Beast”. The riffs in particular ensure a high level of metallic hardness. The rocker “Wild And Lethal” is believed to have been heard several times. Not surprising, because other bands have also used song structures like this. Recently I had to correct my expectations a little with a song about the most famous lake in Scotland. Not so with “Mist Of Loch Ness”. The epic is definitely appropriate for this legendary body of water. For me this is one of the best, if not the best, song on the album. Few bands have been able to implement this theme so epically so far. The song would be an excellent soundtrack. You don’t have to do without a ballad either, because there’s the sugar sweet “A Mother Loved Blue”. And Dushan can once again show all his skills on the guitar. After the short interlude “Sagittarius A”, the title track “Master Of Masters” ends the album. This hymn is another highlight. Once again Power Metal at its best.

Did Dushan actually manage to “write the best material ever”? I don’t want to judge that now. But there is no question that “Master Of Masters” is a very good album. There are always many orchestrations to be heard. But these are always used in a song-serving manner. The main focus is always on the rhythm department. This makes their things convincing. And the singing is the icing on the cake. This disc should not be missing in any metal collection.

Iron Mask – Wild And Lethal (Official Audio Video): https://youtu.be/Inzx_m9DYSk

Lineup:

Dushan Petrossi – Guitars
Mike Slembrouck – Vocals
Vassili Moltchanov – Bass
Ramy Ali – Drums

Track list:

• Never Kiss The Ring
• Tree Of The World
• Revolution Rise
• One Against All
• Nothing Lasts Forever
• Dance With The Beast
• Wild And Lethal
• Mist Of Loch Ness
• My One And Only
• A Mother Loved Blue
• Sagittarius A
• Master Of Masters