Sunday 26 November 2017

Iron & Stone - Petrichor (Album Review)


Release date: November 03rd 2017. Label: Backbite Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Petrichor - Tracklisting

1.Avalanche 05:09
2.Vortex 04:08
3.Deserts 04:52
4.Caves 04:49
5.Interlude 02:13
6.Monolith 04:25
7.Northern Lights 04:02
8.Meander 04:00
9.Yugen 05:35
10.Petrichor 04:38

Members

Henning L.: vocals
Stephan M.: guitar
Christopher P.: guitar
Matthias B.: bass
Torsten H.: drums

Review

Iron & Stone's debut album Petrichor is a rough and ready mix of Doom, Psych and Stoner Metal sounds. After releasing a string of releases since their inception in 2013, the band have finally released a full length album that showcases their full potential for everyone to listen and admire.

The production is solid for the most part as the band inject a “DIY” approach to their music. It means the album sounds very raw at times but it doesn't distract how superbly heavy the album really is.

Opening track – Avalanche – is a noisy Doom/Psych/Grunge/Stoner Metal affair with the band creating an angry atmosphere with Henning's vocals adding a Punk style vibe. The riffs are very good and should appeal to the wide majority of Doom/Stoner Metal fans. As they contain some fast-paced sounds that hold your attention throughout.

Second track – Vortex – has a Motorhead feel with Henning's vocals feeling partially inspired by Lemmy and the music itself has a familiar Motorhead vibe. Add layers of distorted Doom/Stoner Metal and Iron & Stone have one of the first standout tracks on the album. It's very raw sounding but that allows the music to be quite seedy and that adds to the overall doom effect of the album.

Third track – Deserts – sees Iron & Stone opt for a more “thrashier” sound. Very 80s/90s sounding at times but the psychedelic stoner riffs manage to keep you entertained and the music sounds more threatening at times. The lyrics are standard fare but Henning manages to deliver them with style and angry conviction.

If you like the sound of the first three songs then the rest of the album follows the same template. With Iron & Stone becoming angrier with each passing song. Songs such as: Caves, Monolith, Yugen and Petrichor are perhaps the other standout tracks on the album. Yugen and Petrichor deserve special mention as Iron & Stone create heavy monolithic Doom/Stoner Metal sounds that really sees the band come into their own identity.

Petrichor is a well-made and superbly entertaining album that should have no trouble finding an audience within the Doom/Stoner Metal community.

Words by Steve Howe

Links: