Ironsword - In the Coils of Set EP

Boy, these coils sure are tight.

(Originally submitted to the Metal Archives on January 25th 2024.) 

While the waves of revivalism have been running strong throughout the metal underground for more than a decade now, bands in the traditional metal niche have always been a bit more committed. There’s something admirable about their stubborn adherence to the 80s sounds on just about every level, to the point where sometimes you forget they formed after the 80s. Among those bands, and a personal favourite of mine is Ironsword, who despite being around since the mid-90s only hit their stride after the turn of the century. Despite being five full-lengths deep into their career, they aren’t particularly keen on releasing EPs of any kind, so seeing In the Coils of Set piqued my curiosity quite a bit. While I did originally dismiss it as pointless due to it containing a song that appeared on their (at the time of writing) latest release, it turns out that there’s more than meets the eye.
In The Coils of Set is a brief, but surprisingly interesting release from the band. The first two songs, the title track and “Disciples” are pure heavy metal goodness, with gnarly riffing and epic choruses, courtesy of João Fonseca’s commanding bellows and warbly, Shelton-esque cleans. Admittedly, they’re tracks Ironsword’s written many times before (truth be told they aren’t known for straying away from their formula), but are nevertheless a great time.

The real standout here though, if only for its character, is the 15-minute “Fallen Brothers”. A lengthy power ballad that is their longest piece to date, and frankly not the best thing here. Though their attempt to break out of their comfort zone is admirable, it doesn’t quite warrant its length, seeing as it meanders for the first half of it by repeating the same couple of riffs. The song does pick up on the second half, with some great leads and bass licks sprinkled throughout, but ultimately they’re still laid over a structure that doesn’t change much between the first minute and the last.
Truth be told, In The Coils of Set was but a lead-up to the excellent Servants of Steel that came out a few months later. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting curio for those who can’t get enough of Ironsword, and it shows the band experimenting for once, something that they don’t do often. Sure, it didn’t drive me crazy but I can’t help but be fascinated by it in some capacity. If anything, I’d love to see them try their hand at something similar in the future, perhaps with more variety. A man can dream, right?
Highlight: Disciples

Rating: 73% 

  

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