For those who don’t know, this is Spanish heavy/speed metal with a full on leather and spikes fist in the face. ‘Guilty As Charged’ is the bands third effort which still retains the speed metal influences of their ‘Road to Hell’ debut, and develops the traditional German/NWOBHM metal that came out more on their second release ‘Jaguar Spirit’.
Opening with the fast paced ‘Into the Fire’ the drums of hell are pounding away with some great production and the guitars wail at every given opportunity. Iron Curtain hold their metal credentials more in the classic vein, rather than the blacker speed metal that most recent bands tend to play. If you go one step further from Accept and mix some Exciter, Motorhead and Jaguar, then you have the band nailed down. Vocally there’s some strong lines recorded and with tracks like ‘Lions Breath’ there is certainly a case for having legs and travelling very well.
‘Outlaw’ which appeared on their EP last year of the same name, has a more traditional metal approach, but the drumming is definitely a force to steer you into the speed metal realms. The mix of both styles works out great. Living with this album is pretty comfortable, there’s no slack tunes and no relenting in the power. As I have said in a roundabout way, the production is key and represents the songs very well. As a final point, the artwork takes me back to when albums covers depicted exactly what you were going to get back in the day, you know its fist-pumping metal from this and the results contained within back this up perfectly. I still have an affliction to their last release, but this covers more bases in terms of a far reaching encapsulation of influences. Basically, metal that’s slapped in your face that’s both genuine and believable.
(8.5/10 Paul Maddison)
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