Eagle Fang and Iron Bird 19/06/10

Eagle Fang
There’s no doubt in Eagle Fang’s ability as musicians. They play heavy, fast and at times, technical glam-inspired music, but this all falls behind the shadows of the inabilities of the vocalist. The vocalist seems more focused on amping up the crowd and attempting to seem political rather than his singing or “screams”, neither of which he does well. A fine balance must be met and soon, otherwise the band may find themselves underneath the same scrap-heap that buried their glam-metal heroes in the 80s.

Venue
The Swirl Tavern

Overall Performance
3/10

Myspace
www.myspace.com/eaglefangrock

Iron Bird
On the other hand, Iron Bird has that balance. The band all work together as one and their music is clearly enough to stir movement in the crowd without falling upon stereotypic crowd pleasers. The band's brand of hard rock/metal in fact sounds better live than on their recordings, and the lead guitarist pulls off stage moves that would perfectly fit in a music video. Iron Bird’s E.P is good, in fact, it’s great. But their live performance overshadows it, and that defines this band.

Venue
The Swirl Tavern

Overall Performance
10/10

Myspace
www.myspace.com/ironbird.official

Rampage! 12/06/10

The Review
Rampage plays a hybrid of Hardcore, Deathcore and other heavy metal genres, most notably those popular in the 80s. They offer an energetic live performance, riddled with breakdowns, an orchestra of screams, as well as they occasional technical guitar fill or melodic death metal inspired guitar harmony. At times the vocalist recalls Ed Butcher from I Killed the Prom Queen fame, minus the melodic, clean singing delivered by other members. Overall the band performs a promising live show, and their technicality is to be admired. However Rampage still do require the experience that will only come with more shows under the belt.

Venue
The Tempo Hotel

Overall Performance
7/10

Myspace
www.myspace.com/rampagegc

Ironbird "Hit the Limit" E.P

The Review
In their first effort "Hit the Limit", Ironbird mix and match genres into their own, bearing an undeniable Motorhead-esque sound. The E.P begins with "Wild and Waiting", a song characterized by an unrelenting punk-rock tempo and an anthemic chorus, which calls for a bottle of Jack or horns to be held high. The band next shifts gear to "Beneath an Iron Sky", one of the clear stand-outs. Showing no signs of slowing down, the song boasts an even catchier chorus, while still keeping things heavy. "Beneath An Iron Sky" keeps the listener mesmerized by an impressive guitar solo, foregrounding the bands ability as a unit. The title track "Hit the Limit" utilizes thrash metal riffery and centring the song is a solo that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Black Label Society album. Showing no intent on shifting down a gear, the band keeps things quick, heavy and short for "Shotgun Suzy". The E.P is wrapped up by "Outlaw Run", which is an appropriate end. Ironbird successfully utilize their influences and stand out from the pack, unlike many of their contemporaries, who are quick to photocopy the formulas from their favourite 80’s metal bands.

Stand-outs
Beneath an Evil Sky
Hit the Limit

Overall Rating
9/10

Myspace
www.myspace.com/ironbird.official