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Ironflame: Where Madness Dwells
Ironflame - Where Madness Dwells Album Art

Ironflame: Where Madness Dwells

Heavy Power Metal
4.5/5.0

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High Roller Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 29.06.2022 | Released: 01.07.2022

We end June with the beginning of July. Friday, July 1st brings the release of the latest and fourth Ironflame studio album Where Madness Dwell. To jump start your memory, Ironflame is the project of Ohio-based vocalist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Andrew D'Cagna. While his musical history spans various genres and many bands, from classic metal to death metal, D'Cagna might be best known for the former and his contributions to American metal band Icarus Witch.

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Ironflame

Like previous recordings D'Cagna developed Where Madness Dwell in his usual style: largely by writing and arranging all the songs and playing instrument. While he does play guitar, most of the leads are handled by the live guitar duo of Quinn Lukas (Icarus Witch) and Jesse Scott (Defy The Tide). The genre formula is also well-established and self-evident: classic heavy power metal straight out of the late Seventies to mid-Eighties, reflecting predominately large influences from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWoBHM).

Characteristically, if you think (and I do) Ironflame sounds like the second decade of the 21st century version of Iron Maiden, you're probably right. Ironflame:Iron Maiden. It's not much of a leap. Twin guitar harmony and vicious leads. Rock rhythm and groove wrapped in power metal speed. Assertive melodic vocals. Does D'Cagna sound like Brucie boy. You betcha. Yes, sir. It's all here.

Therefore, song samples of the same are delightfully and blatantly self-evident. Power metal gallop and groove come with The Phantom Flame, Everlasting, Under The Spell, and Ready To Strike, perhaps the fastest song here. Alternatively, Ironflame mixes tempos in the traditional metal tunes Where Madness Dwells and A Funeral Within, which has heavy thick riffs wrapping a dark theme. My promo one-sheet suggested that the album comes with only eight songs, but the recording given had two more, Infernal Angels and Sands Of Time.

All in all, if you love and long for more traditional heavy power metal, derivative of Iron Maiden (and others), Ironflame's Where Madness Dwells will scratch that metal itch. Easily recommended.




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The Take Away

If you love and long for more traditional heavy power metal, derivative of Iron Maiden (and others), Ironflame's Where Madness Dwells will scratch that metal itch. Easily recommended.

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