Customer Reviews

On the Edge

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"On the Edge" (2001) is the second release from Danish power metal band Iron Fire. While it's not a classic by any means, this album doesn't always get a fair shake.

The majority of this album is Iron Fire's usual power metal style, although the lyrics are darker than usual, dealing with the occult, demons, evil, etc. It doesn't really work. You can tell Iron Fire doesn't really mean it. Three tracks ("Wanted Man", "Lost N' Alone", and "Miracle") have a distinctly 80's American heavy metal sound and lyrics("Wanted Man" has cowbell!), and Iron Fire pulls it off. Martin Steene's voice fits the style.

On the whole, this is a solid album. Iron Fire's guitar work is fantastic as always, even if the melodies aren't always up to par.

I don't know what happened on this album, which was supposed to be power metal... Can a band change so quickly as Iron Fire has? I thought their debut THUNDERSTORM was great. On the Edge does not come close to Thunderstorm. I found no great songs on the new album, and i hope they start playing real power metal on their next album, and get back to the high vocals, not the american-guns and roses sounding voice. HAil To Metal

Okay, so when I first checked out 'On the Edge' I almost sprayed my soda across the room. Don't get me wrong - I loved the first album, but it seemed like these guys took to heart all the reviews that said the first album was a Helloween/Hammer Fall rip off, and thus tried to differentiate their sound. I don't know what they were going for, but it didn't really work.

There are a few 'classic' Iron Fire tracks on here that are pretty good, and would be quite at home on 'Thunderstorm'... But for the most part, 'On the Edge' is the aural equivalent of trying to wade through turd infested waters and not swallow anything.

Because I love this band so much, I still put this album on every once in a while, and there are certain qualities to it that I really enjoy. However, the album as a whole is pretty darned horrible, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it as a starting point if you are new to this otherwise awesome band.

With their 2nd release, Iron Fire have shown that they are very close to belonging amongst the ranks of the "elite" power metal bands such as HammerFall, Blind Guardian, and Rhapsody. The songs on this release seem to stand out, and are more diverse than the first album, yet the band stays true to the brand and style of music they forged on their first release. The production is excellent, and the songs are shorter in length verses the first album, which I think works to Iron Fire's advantage on this new opus. One of the things I like about this band is the fact that they use keyboards, but don't go overboard. The keyboards tend to remain in the background and help to add texture and mood to each song without drowning out the guitar riffs - which happen to be the best thing about the new album. The best songs in my opinion, are actually numbers 1 through 6. Wanted Man, song 7, is probably the most diverse song. I don't really like the intro, but then the vocals kick in, and the overall song starts to take shape. Song 11, Miracle, also has a slightly different sound - more straight forward "rock" oriented, but the chorus of the song shines through and also makes it one of the best tracks on the album. If I had to simplify my review in one sentence I would say the first 6 songs on the album are much in the same vein as their 1st release, whereas songs 7 through 12 are more "experimental". Overall, a very good album, with memorable riffs and melodies.

I am in disagreement with most reviews I have read on this album. I thought it was much heavier and agressive than Thunderstorm. I like the growly vocals and instrumentals better than it's fast and high pitched predecessor.

The track Wanted Man sure sound like an L.A. hair metal act, listen to those vocals. They sound much better on Thunderstruck, Riding Free which is more in the vein of euro-metal.
Don't be fooled by their Denmark stamp.