HMT's Album of the Week! Order & Listen to Iron Reagan's The Tyranny of Will on Bandcamp

The Tyranny of Will
Iron Reagan

A few months ago we interviewed Tony Foresta, frontman for Iron Reagan (& Municipal Waste), about the goings on with the band and the future. He hinted at what we could expect and I'm proud to say the band has really delivered.

From their very first Demo they've been a legit force to be reckoned with. Their thrash/crossover sound is so true to the genre that if I didn't know better I'd think they were actually straight out of the mid to late 80's scene.

The Tyranny of Will is 25 tracks of hard charging, in your face, hardcore/thrash and it's all good. Yes, every track brings it. Every time I pick a favorite another one pops up. That's what I call a great complete album.

Early Hardcore critiqued Washington politics and government. Iron Reagan carry on that tradition. From their bloody cover art depicting famous politicians being destroyed to their lyrics that skewer political rhetoric, Iron Reagan indeed pull no punches. If you're looking for a good example, "Four More Years" lyrics is a pretty great critique on modern politicians.

"What I really need now 

Is just a little more time?
To make the wrong decisions 

To put us years behind "

So this week I chose to stamp The Tyranny of Will with the "Album of the Week". It's more than well deserved. There are a number of bands who bow to the holy grail of Slayer, Venom and the likes. There are many bands who carry the banner for the heyday of punk and the crossover movement but there are very few who carve their own mark into a genre like Iron Reagan. These guys are pushing this style of music into the stratosphere, a stratosphere where even the Star Wars program won't take it down.....Yeah, I went there.

Iron Reagan

Check out and order the album now on Iron Reagan's bandcamp page. 

Also check out their previous releases as well.

Album of the Week! Crowbar's Symmetry in Black

Symmetry in Black
Crowbar

   This is the album Kirk left Down for and I'll give him a ton of credit, it is quite an improvement over their last release. The album is less heavy handed and chock full of groovey riffage. It also moves along at a quicker pace with varied tonality and much more standalone instrumentation. Having more time to focus on Crowbar, Kirk made the best of it with stronger songwriting and attention to the details that make the band sound reinvigorated. 

   The album pushes the boundaries a bit more than their last as well. The outro, "The Piety of Self-Loathing", is a great instrumental that shows the band using a brighter sound without losing any of it's heaviness. Another tune, "Amaranthine", finds Crowbar creating their own "Planet Caravan" moment. Less dirge and more jam definitely makes this album a more enjoyable listen than their last. Old school fans of Crowbar need not worry, this is definitely their signature sound with just a few refinements to keep the sound current. - growman

Standout songs:

"The Taste of Dying" "Symmetry in White" "Amaranthine"

Album of the Week! Deathmole's Permanence

 Permanence

by Deathmole

I can not say enough about this week's album of the week, but I'll try it keep it simple. First off this whole album was created by one man, Jeph Jacques. and he's from the Western Mass town of Northampton. Over the past 10 to 15 years some of the best talent in the Metal scene has come out of the Pioneer Valley. I was fortunate to live in the area for a few years and caught some amazing shows.

Deathmole's Permanence dropped in January and today is actually the first time I've had a chance to hear it. The production is flawless and the djent riffing is so tasty that it will appeal to both the die hard metal heads and the radio friendlies. I hold instrumental albums to a higher standard and there are very few that can reach the mark. This is as good as you're gonna find.

With a polished sound, off time signatures and rich rhythm, this a super pleasurable soundscape.

Stream Album Below

Album of the Week! Down EP PART 2