Hailing from the almighty Midwestern USA is Richmond, Indiana’s very own WOLFTOOTH – offering a colossal slab of genuine, proto-metal influenced heaviness with a deep dose of doom essence and addictive stoner riffage to boot. In the same vein as their previous releases of subterranean acclaim, Wolftooth (dubbed a “best of†2018 via Doom Charts) and Valhalla (2020), the band’s latest release and label debut, entitled Blood & Iron, continues the band’s journey through a treasure trove of fantasy-themed lyrical influences – exploring mystical and often treacherous themes of mythology, lore and legend with a focus on sorcery, battle and non-stop adventure! Recorded, mixed and mastered by longtime producer Jeremy Lovins, Blood & Iron is a true nod to classic, feel-good American heavy metal with modernized flair, providing an escape for the listener that hits hard without ever feeling pretentious or aloof. Blood & Iron begins ominously with “Ahab†– beckoning the listener to join WOLFTOOTH’s fabled trek with an isolated guitar introduction before bursting into a sticky, metallic blues jam, instantly echoing the likes of Black Sabbath to Pallbearer while maintaining fresh delivery. The track effectively poises the album for greatness before leading into two tales of historic prevalence backed by trudging riffage – Xerces epic “Hellespontâ€, and mythical ode to triumphant Irish warrior Cú Chulainn, “Blood & Ironâ€. The tracks ebb and flow amid melodic solos, sludgy rhythms and charging drums, evident on songs like galloping, thrash-injected assault “Broken Sword†and headbang-inducing, lead-laden “A King’s Landâ€. WOLFTOOTH continue their immense sonic storytelling with soaring Viking saga of invasion “The Voyage†and frigid ballad “Winter White†before closing out the nine enormous tunes on Blood & Iron with two of its most standout offerings – cohesive and rhythmically-enticing “Garden Of Hesperides†and driving final epic “The Mare†– depicting stories of 100-headed dragons, witches, dark horses and mind control. What more could a true metalhead ask for? If you enjoy your metal homegrown, larger-than-life and with a weighty dose of mystical storytelling, WOLFTOOTH’s Blood & Iron is your newest obsession!
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