IRONFLAME – Blood Red Victory (Album Review)

Ride

It’s always a great feeling riding into the New Year on the back of some quality heavy metal.

This particular horse goes by the name of Ironflame and the flag they carry into battle is one of unerring power and strength.

Multi-instrumentalist Andrew D’Cagna formed Ironflame in late 2016 as a solo project, but the group soon became a formidable live unit. The current performing lineup consists of D’Cagna on vocals, guitarists Quinn Lukas and Jesse Scott, James Babcock on bass, and Noah Skiba behind the kit.

Origins

The band originates from eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania and Blood Red Victory represents their third full-length album. Ironflame majors in traditional metal, with a healthy dose of power metal and even touching on the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. However, this all does not really need saying as I think the cover art says it all.

Vocalist D’Cagna has a slight touch of Bruce Dickinson to him, in that he has a smooth yet powerful delivery which befits the musical style well.

The real highlights for me, though, are the twin leads. Sweeping melodious riffs underpin all tracks but then there are the solos. Solos which are so well matched to each song and they aren’t brief either; beautiful pieces all.

Theme

The theme running throughout Blood Red Victory is one of victory, and overcoming adversity. As D’Cagna explains, “There is a recurring theme of victory in the lyrics for this album. Some songs have an air of chest-out confidence; others are about overcoming adversaries or even adversity itself. Most have been written from a ‘we/us’ perspective, which makes the listener feel like, ‘We’re in this together.'”

I have to say D’Cagna is not wrong, there are plenty of opportunities to stick out your chest and raise a fist in victory, it really is a feel-good album. Very much in the vein of Manowar, Blood Red Victory has a ‘stand strong together’ anthemic belief which we can all buy into.

Ride!

So, mount your heavy metal charge and ride triumphantly alongside Ironflame, what a great way start to 2020.

Blood Red Victory is out on February 7, 2020, on Divebomb Records. 

PRE-ORDER: AMAZON.ca / AMAZON.com / AMAZON.co.uk

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Also, find more of my CGCM reviews here: Sparky