For the past decade, Spain's Iron Curtain have become a veritable institution in the international true-metal underground. Road to Hell, their debut album from 2012, set the stage for their successive scene dominance. Forged in the fires of the early '80s, Iron Curtain's sound set forth a smorgasboard of grit and gleam equally, largely nodding to the eternal Motörhead as well as Tank, but also Canadian gods like Exciter and Razor, to the Teutonic might of early Iron Angel and Grave Digger, to Scandinavian gods OZ and Heavy Load, to cult American icons Abattoir and Savage Grace. Indeed, none more true were Iron Curtain - and they were here to stay! Two more revered full-lengths followed - 2013's Jaguar Spirit and 2016's Guilty as Charged - but now Iron Curtain are about to lift the veil on their most rocking record yet. Ans since the beginning, DYING VICTIMS is honored to unleash that hot rocker in the form of Danger Zone, arguably Iron Curtain's magnum opus. Scaling back the speed that characterized the band earlier on, here do Iron Curtain work the sweet-spot mid-tempo, maximizing space and shade within these overtly more melodic gems. The production on Danger Zone is especially exquisite, retaining an era-authentic grittiness without sacrificing any latent heaviness. Not that "heaviness" per se is the prime directive on LP#4 - although, ripping opener "Wildlife" would suggest otherwise - rather, the cooly cruising dynamic these eight anthems take is far more suited to fist-shaking and pint-raising instead of thrashing like a maniac. Thus, hooks are huge, and any perceived "cleaning up" of the production pays off across these 33 electric minutes, culminating in the mesmerizingly moody climactic closer "Lonewolf." Are you prepared to enter the Danger Zone? Let Iron Curtain show you the way!
