IO - Fire (Album Review)

Release Date: May 21st 2021. Record Label: Argonauta Records. Format: CD/DD

Fire - Tracklisting

1.Third Eye 06:30

2.Fire Walks with Us 10:15

3.Loki Patera 09:18

4.Poseidon (In Lava Sea) 16:28

Members

Valeria – Drums

Fabio – Guitar / Vocals

Stefano – Bass

Review

Fire is the new album from Italian Sludge/Stoner Metallers IO and it’s a steady mix of crushing Doom Metal sounds with traces of dirty LOUD FUZZ injected into the backdrop of their gloomy and distorted atmospheric grooves. The band remains firmly in the more extreme side of Sludge/Stoner Metal with ugly violent vocals leading the way.

IO creates a chaotic and volatile style of Progressive Sludge/Stoner Metal with most of the songs running longer than 9 mins each with the epic final song Poseidon (In Lava Sea) running past the 16 minute mark.

The opening song - Third Eye = is an almost classic style of downbeat Sludge Metal with the band turning to elements of distorted Stoner Metal to level the mood out but this remains one of the more heavier songs I’ve heard recently. There are some light psychedelic and almost jazz based touches towards the end of song but IO return to their “TRUE” selves with bleak long-drawn out sludgy grooves with a nightmarish quality to them.

Second song - Fire Walks With Us - starts very cautiously with slow played mellow guitars with a “DOOM” edge to them. The song shows it’s true colours when the heavier music appears and IO appear more content playing this style of music. The sound is quite raw and the vocals don’t change that fact when they drift in and out from the song. The eerie chants is a very cool touch but it’s the music that’s the winning factor with a superbly played style of Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal that should appeal to fans of CONAN.

The final two songs Loki Patera and Poseidon (In Lava Sea) is where the “real magic” happens with IO playing and writing the best sounds on the album. The 2nd half is more focused and inventive compared to the 1st half. Though, the album as a whole is excellent if you like your Sludge/Stoner Metal with added aggressive tones and extra bite woven into the overall mix of the record.

IO do have a “Cosmic/Spaced Out” flavour to their sound and the band do bring a sense of Psychedelic Craziness to certain parts of the album. So don’t be put off when the heavy riffs disappear and bring an almost Post-Stoner or Psych-Stoner environment to the party.

Fire is a spellbinding and beautifully heavy album that should see IO win a lot of new admirers within the scene.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Mona at All Noir PR for the promo. 

Fire is available to buy now on CD from Argonauta Records

Links:

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