It’s a safe guess that most of Iron Age’s iPods would reveal
Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All and other vintage thrash as influences.
Singer Jason Tarpey’s iPod, on the other hand, would surely sport a
playlist packed with tunes by metal/hardcore crossover legends Disfear.
While the guitars on The Sleeping Eye are chugging, riffing and
ripping with beefy glee, Tarpey growls like he spent his winter months
in the harsh cold and extended dark of Sweden. This combination allows
Iron Age to utilize a checks-and-balances songwriting system. If the
rapid-fire riffs start to sound like a Thrash 101 clinic, Tarpey
re-invents them with his harsh tone. Conversely, if Tarpey’s grunts and
groans start to get too atonally heavy, the band undercuts him with
melodic precision and moody backdrops. These are the sorts of tricks
needed for an album where half of the songs exceed the five-minute
mark. Ultimately, Iron Age’s fluid hybridization keeps The Sleeping
Eye epic-sounding instead of merely tiresome. —
Whelihan
This article appears in Aug 5-11, 2009.
