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Iron Savior > Battering Ram > Reviews
Iron Savior - Battering Ram

Welcome to the Machine World! - 70%

Nocturnal_Evil, October 9th, 2023
Written based on this version: 2004, CD, Noise Records

With some bands, one record is all you need to understand what the band is about, and that isn't always a bad thing. Iron Savior happens to be one of those groups. Outside of minor changes in production, the sound and approach of their debut is present throughout all their work; something which I find to be very comforting about the music.

Battering Ram starts out strong with a triumphant sounding title track that sets the tone for the work to follow. The riffs are standard chugging fare, and the guitars throughout have been given a very tasty, semi-scooped tone. Actually, now that I think about it, they might have just taken a peak at whatever Grave Digger's guitarists setup was and copied it... The riffs themselves are generally rooted in a traditional metal style, and while there are solos, they're not overly "shred." That's something I like about this band: they don't need to be always playing a million miles an hour or have grand layers of synth overlaying their work - they have a very definite scope within which they work, and they generally do it very well.

The singer here is very fitting for the music and, refreshingly, is not helium powered. Much like the singer from Orden Ogan whose name currently eludes me, he manages to tow the line between high and low registers. He's also got some grit/gruffness to his voice, but not so much as to stray into Joakim Broden or Chris Boltendahl territory (thankfully). The drums and bass play an integral role in Iron Savior's sound here as much as ever. Unlike some power metal bands, they provide a much appreciated lower end boost to the music, and the bass is actually audible most of the time, so big props to them for that. The double bass on this record is also not abused, with the band opting for more straightforward, traditional heavy metal drum-work as opposed to spamming double bass on every track. Consequently, this makes the double bass passages hit harder, which is something I really enjoy.

As with the rest of the band's discography, this record is more or less thematically centered around their ongoing "Iron Savior mythos," which is... a thing. I don't really care for the "mythos" or backstory some bands build for themselves: it can never excuse poor quality music. Luckily for this band, they don't rely on the gimmick too much.

Speaking to the songs themselves, they vary in terms of quality and memorability. The run of the first three tracks are very solid, with "Stand Against the King" being the one that I like most. "Time Will Tell" is very promising from the start, but loses coherence upon breaking into the chorus. Still, there are a lot of great aspects to that song, I just wish they could have rethought the chorus delivery. "Wings of Deliverance" is quite nice, and so is "Tyranny of Steel." One which I wish would grow on me is "Starchaser." It's a track that doesn't have anything noticeably 'off' with it, but for some reason doesn't pack a punch for me like others earlier on this album do. The only tracks I'd actively avoid here are "H.M. Powered Man," which is just about as dumb as its title. Iron Savior has proven with "Heavy Metal Never Dies" that they can write a good heavy metal centric anthem, but this one isn't it. "Break the Curse" is the only track on the record I will go out of my way to skip; total filler.

That's about all I have to say about this record... What are you waiting for now? Go give it a spin!

ironically, not all that impacting - 74%

Demon Fang, November 26th, 2021

Condition Red is the album that would solidify Iron Savior’s sound for… about the next 20 years at this point. There’s a good reason for that – mainly that it’s a great album full of hard-hitting riffs, punchy song structures, Kilimanjaro-big choruses and that razor-sharp Sielck sound being sharpened to a glossy sheen. You could cut concrete with that like it’s nothing. Battering Ram had a lot to live up to… and if I’m being perfectly honest here, it doesn’t quite live up to those lofty standards. Still a good album; just not as good as it could’ve been.

The overarching bellyache I have with this album is it’s so… safe. I’ve heard a lot of these songs from them before, I’ve born witness to these riffs from them before, I’ve heard these choruses, leads and what have you before, and they were done better there than here. That isn’t to discredit songs like “Battering Ram”, “Tyranny of Steel” and “Time Will Tell” – these are good songs on their own terms. Some cool speed metal mayhem with the punchy riffing that we know Sielck for doing. These big, layered choruses with that infectious melodicism throughout. Like, the way Sielck vocalises with a booming or choir-like presence while he and Piesel riff to where it’s all catchy and shit. But that’s what Iron Savior have been doing for five albums at this point, and those songs don’t quite compare to the likes of “Coming Home”, “Brave New World” and “Titans of Our Motherfucking Time”.

From a compositional standpoint, it comes across as… Iron Savior, for lack of a better term. It maintains Condition Red’s straightforward approach, albeit weighed a little more towards the power metal end of the spectrum than outright speed metal. It’s got more leads sprinkled out here and there that have some hooky qualities. The riffs aren’t quite as driving as before, but they opt for a more outright rhythmic approach. It’s like a more fleshed out version of their self-titled album, combined with the stomping Condition Red and perhaps a few melodic subtleties of Unification. Like, if this was your first Iron Savior album, I can easily see you wanting to get into their older works because it’s got a lot of the elements that made (and still make) them work. It’s an inferior product, but at a base level, there’s a ton of enjoyable power-laced speed metal to enjoy here.

With that being said, there are a few songs that stand above the rest that are almost comparable. The breakneck “Riding Free” and the highly anthemic rocking “Break the Curse” give the album’s mid-section some real bite, and “Starchaser” and “Time Will Tell” at least have the hardest-hitting, punchiest riffs and most melodic choruses on this album. These songs make it worth the price of admission no matter what way you look at it. The rest are fine – I’d even say good; just not as good as they could’ve been. Battering Ram was cursed with having to follow up Condition Red, and Iron Savior played it safe in retaliation. It’s just what it is.

Fair effort - 59%

Human666, February 22nd, 2016

'Battering Ram' is a decent power metal album with some unoriginal moments that occur too often. The title track, which is also the best track in this album, has an almost perfectly identical chorus to Blind Guardian's Into the Storm, which kind of disappoints me every time I listen to this track, because it surely has some catchy riffs, and it ends up sounding almost like a rip-off in the chorus. 'Heavy metal powered man' also begins with a riff that sounds too similar to Iron Maiden's Two Minutes to Midnight and really makes me wonder if they haven't noticed such a prominent resemblance before releasing this one. Besides that, this album is mostly okay, although quite uninspiring.

The production is quite good. The guitars have a solid, crunchy tone that serves well the fast paced aggressive riffs. Piet Sielck has a ballsy baritone voice and a nice timbre that compensate for his somewhat limited vocal range. The drumming is powerful and dynamic yet somehow conservative. The songs are mostly going through the motions yet ends up sounding enjoyable.

Overall, there's not much to dissect in this album. Iron Savior are mostly keeping it safe in familiar territories and eventually succeeding in creating a fair album that can fit well in any hard rock pub or gym session, but nothing more than that. There's nothing epic or exciting in this album, yet it is what I would describe as 'happy go lucky', harmless power metal. The catchiest tracks in this album are probably the title track (which has a somewhat problematic chorus as I've already mentioned), 'Stand The King' and 'Wings Of Deliverance', which both have some groovy riffs and enjoyable vocal melodies. Anyway, fans of power metal will probably fond the better moments of this one.

Power Metal The Burns The Flower - 90%

Flamos, January 16th, 2009

Want some great speedy power metal? Well, you’ve come to the right place. “Battering Ram” by Iron Savoir is simple, but extremely effective. Nothing here is original, but that’s not important. What’s important is the music itself, right? It begins with the title track and you’ll instantly realize what you’re in for. Speedy tracks with very catchy hooks and riffs. Yens Leonhardt’s bass playing is audible here and gives a good crunch to the music. Thomas Nack’s drum playing is consistently great. “Tyranny of Steel” is a good example for both players. “Wings of Deliverance” has Martian Christian (From the band Paragon) on guitars. Who overall is a great player, and he shows it on this song, which has more of an epic chorus than any other track here. “Riding Free” is power metal at it’s finest. Thomas Nack plays his heart out and the overall speed it enticing. “Starchaser” has more of the fantasy aura around it, which will make the natural power fans happy. “H.M Powered Man” is the anthem here, and it’s extremely well done. Catchy as hell with great vocals.

Speaking of vocals, Piet Sielck does a fantastic job here. He may not have the best range on planet earth, but his unique voice is a perfect fit here. His guitar playing isn’t shabby either. Joachim "Piesel" Kustner has some amazing skills and can pull of some unbelievable guitar feats; the guitar playing overall is just great. The musicianship here is immense, and it shows.

“Time Will Tell” is the only bummer on this album; it’s just not as interesting as everything else. The production is also a little spotty, but it’s not the vast to cause any serious problems. If you like heavy and power metal, you must own this. Iron Savoir is one of the most underrated bands in metal history, they should be recognized. “Battering Ram” is an album that works in every aspect. Sure it’s not something new and revolutionary, but it’s always nice to stick with a working formula. Plus it isn't power metal that talks about wizards and dragons. Which is a good break, right?

Uninspired but Brilliant Heavy Metal - 85%

Milkfiend, November 1st, 2006

For those of you who don’t know, all of Iron Savior’s previous albums have followed a science fiction story masterminded by bandleader Piet Sielck with each new release adding another chapter to the Iron Savior saga. The approach has been slightly altered for Battering Ram with only a few of the songs continuing the story and the others exploring broader lyrical themes – for example “Break the Curse” seems to be about depression.

Newcomers, particularly fans of the more grandiose power metal outfits, should note that although Iron Savior are power metal (clearly inspired by Gamma Ray and Painkiller era Judas Priest) their sound is much more down-to-earth than their more “epic” genre mates. Piet Sielck’s vocals are something of a rarity in the genre and he has a more limited range than the typical femme-boy power metal vocalist epitomised by Michael Kiske (actually, I think that Kiske’s great) yet remain clean and powerful throughout – think Hansi Kürsch but replace his occasional softer singing and craftiness of his voice with good old-fashioned toughness. Aside from that, Battering Ram is characterised by stomping double bass drumming that’s not of the variety that will cause your ears to bleed, occasionally audible bass lines, powerful guitar leads and riffs and big, memorable melodic choruses.

Sound familiar to fans? It should. Perhaps unsurprisingly there has been no huge stylistic leap between this album and Savior’s earlier work, yet it bears the closest resemblance to Condition Red. The most notable differences between this album and its predecessors are the lack of another lead vocalist on any track (similarly to Condition Red) and the lack of the traditional cover song to round off the album (again, à la Condtion Red).

Somehow, the Iron Savior team have managed to infuse this album with even more power than before – perhaps its down to Piet Sielck sounding better than ever or the more guitar driven sound (don't expect a lot of keyboards). The rhythm section has also changed around a bit with a new bassist who competently fills the role (though the bass is not as prominent on this album as on others – this isn’t really a problem though as the release still sounds very powerful and complete) and Thomas Nack’s drumming has improved somewhat from his rather lacklustre offering on the previous album.

Unfortunately there is little variety to be found on this disc and many of the tracks sound similar (even lyrically) to others on the album and to songs from earlier Savior releases. The music is still certainly very good – I can’t think of a song which is actively bad on the album - and the notably different guitar styles of Küstner and Sielck make for some great solo swapping on a few of the songs: definitely a highlight. Casual listeners (especially those who don’t really like Sielck’s vocals) may find the entire album difficult to digest especially since the momentum is carried from beginning to end and even the slower tracks (Wings of Deliverance and Machine World) pound away with relentless heaviness. Also the lack of variation invariably leads to some forgettable tracks such as Time Will Tell.

Highlights include the storming title track (bonus points for this one as it is clearly the best lovemaking song ever – just listen to that raunchy chorus: “To bang like a battering ram / unleashing the force of the storm / to bang like a battering ram”. Well, quite.), Stand Against the King (great chorus on this one), Wings of Deliverance (with guest musician Martin Christian playing some of the album’s best guitar leads) and, despite its rather weak lyrics, H.M. Powered Man (which starts off in exactly the same way as Iron Maiden’s 2 Minutes to Midnight).

Iron Savior fans looking for more of the same certainly won’t be disappointed and newcomers looking to “break into” the band could do worse then to pick up this CD (unless, of course, you really care about the story). Those who were hoping for something fresh and new may be disappointed but really, the straightforward heavy metal attitude, amazing power, song writing and musicianship displayed on this release make it virtually impossible for any metal fan to dislike.

Back to Basics. - 85%

hells_unicorn, October 3rd, 2006

After the exodus of Kai Hansen following the "Dark Assault" release, the remaining members of the classic era of Iron Savior began to reshuffle their roles. Jan Eckert gave up any lead vocal duties, and Adreas Kuck accepted having his keyboard duties down-graded. The result was still a fine product in "Condition Red", but not up to par with what they were capable of with that line-up. Following it's release, Jan Eckert departed for greener pastures with Masterplan, and Andreas Kuck pretty much dropped off the face of the metal world, thus ending the classic era of Iron Savior.

What this album is, in actuality, is a more stripped down version of the pre-Unification Iron Savior, though without Kai Hansen and with Thomas Knack on the drums. The guitar sound is much more polished than the debut album, but the role of the keys have been drastically reduced. With the exception of the interlude to "Wings of Deliverance", the album is pretty much devoid of keyboard tracks and most of the atmospheric effects are accomplished through guitars.

Although he gets the job done well on bass and carries former lead vocalist credentials, Yenz is the weak link on this album. His basslines are not nearly as present or as raunchy sounding as Eckert's, and his potential as a secondary lead vocalist are not tapped on this album. Album concept or not, the variety found on the 2nd and 3rd studio releases are a plus that should not be abandoned for the sake of getting back to basics.

One strength that this album possesses that is a drastic improvement over the last is the vocal tracks, particularly during the choruses. Songs including the title track, "Time will tell", and "Star Chaser" have choruses that are give the songs such a dense texture that it reminds me of 80s era Queen. Piet Selick really pushes the limits of his range on a couple of these tracks, and also explores his lower range on such slower tracks like "Machine World".

Another strength are the lead tracks on here. Piesal really has his act together on this album. Solos such as the ones found on "Stand Against the King", "Break the Curse", "Star Chaser" and "H.M. Powered Man" are staples of his bluesy, yet crazy lead approach. Piet does his share of melodic leads on the faster and more epic sounding tracks. But the two greatest leads are the trade-offs between the two on "Machine World" and the guest leads on "Wings of Deliverance" provided by Martin Christian of veteran power metal outfit Paragon.

As a whole, there are no bad songs on here. But individual highlights where all the elements come together to create stand out tracks include the title track, "Tyranny of Steel", "Wings of Deliverance", "Star Chaser", and "Machine World". The others are solid songs, but don't really stand out as being exceptional when compared with past work.

In conclusion, this is a good album, but I think there is some sound maintanence that needs to occur before I can get really jazzed up about this new line-up. I would recommend trying out Yenz doing some brief lead tracks on some of the songs and getting another keyboardist. Power metal fans and fans of late 80s era Judas Priest will like this, but the problem is that aside from Piet's vocals there is little to keep them distinct from the growing number of Priest worshippers.