Ironflame - Blood Red Victory

March of the Heavy Metal crusaders.

(Originally submitted to the Metal Archives on March 29th 2022) 

Truth be told, it took me a while to understand that there was more to power metal than the stuff that’s on the surface, which is genuinely some of the worst the genre has to offer. From 2019 onward though, I’ve come across genuinely good bands, which have provided me with a great deal of fun. Ironflame is one of them, whom I found thanks to the topic of this review, Blood Red Victory. It’s the album that made me go “Hey, maybe power metal is not that bad after all”, and motivated me to look into the genre more.
For the band’s third full-length, Andrew D’Cagna provides us with a collection of quality power metal tunes, leading to an anthemic 40 (50 if you count the bonus tracks) minutes. From absolute scorchers like “Gates of Evermore”, which inaugurates the album, to more dramatic mid-tempo cuts like “Night Queen”, the album’s filled with songwriting that doesn’t compromise energy for catchiness. Despite that though, there’s no shortage of memorable and hooky moments, a hallmark of the style. The double-bass driven verses of “Seekers of the Blade” and the emotive leadwork on “Grace and Valor” are definite standouts in that regard, and managed to stay with me long after I’ve listened to the album.
Speaking of leads, Quinn Lukas and Jesse Scott, this album’s guest guitarists, lay down some very varied and emotive solos throughout the album. A lot of the tracks tend to feature two solos back-to-back, and more often than not both of them are immensely entertaining. I’d go so far as to say that one could listen to Blood Red Victory specifically for the leads presented here. They’ve hit just the right balance between technicality and memorability, and they always fit the song they’re found in perfectly.
This album’s energy is further supplemented by the production, which is, for lack of a better word, great. The guitars are bright, yet maintain some crunch, bringing the most out of the riffs and solos, while the bass is appropriately robust, and has a strong presence in the mix. The drums are also quite punchy and carry a lot of the rhythms forward, especially when there’s a double bass run. The mixing here is also flawless, with everything being audible at all times, even when Andrew’s powerful mid-range shows up it doesn’t overshadow the other instruments.
While this album is really fun, I can’t help but point out some of its flaws, as well as compare it to its predecessor. For one, the album really flows in a very samey way, which becomes very apparent on repeat listens. It’s just “fast song-slow song” repeated until the end of the album, and it really just makes it drag a little, especially when there’s clunkers like “Blood Red Cross”. The album’s arguably too focused for its own good with the songs it provides. Tales of Splendor and Sorrow, while being a more derivative album, provided a much more varied and engaging experience that covered a lot of different moods throughout. Blood Red Victory retroactively became a more bland experience after taking a look at the band’s back catalogue.
On the whole, Blood Red Victory is an entertaining, if a bit two-dimensional release. At the end of the day, it’s still a fun and energetic power metal album, and it has the two things an album of the style needs the most: good choruses and strong riffs. For any connoisseurs of the style it might seem a bit unimpressive, but it’s a guaranteed good time nonetheless, and is definitely worth a listen if you’re looking for the things previously mentioned.
Highlights: Gates of Evermore, Seekers of the Blade, Grace and Valor, Night Queen

Rating: 80% 

  

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