CoC : Ironlung - Chasing Salvation : Review

Ironlung - _Chasing Salvation_
(Diehard, 1997)
by: Paul Schwarz (8 out of 10)

This seemed like an odd concept to me: a former hardcore band whose members have been in such death metal bands as Autopsy and Suffocation produces an album rooted in heavily Black Sabbath influenced 70's Acid Rock. Although not a classic album like those early Sabbaths, _Chasing Salvation_ measures up to the acid rock genre's less brilliant offerings rather well. It contains some excellent riffs which are catchy and heavy. Although most of the riffs could be Sabbath riffs, the band does mix in a few other elements. The hardcore section of "Reality Check" with its Biohazard sounding shouts and the spoken word part on "Sunblock" add spice which makes this more than just a Sabbath rehash. The vocalist has landed a good mix between American hardcore vocals and the Ozzy era Sabbath vocals. A good production with all the instruments sounding good and in their place brings the quality of the songs to life. What lets this album down is its slight lack of variation. It is not, as I said, a classic like _Master of Reality_ or _Sabbath Bloody Sabbath_ are. It is still a very good album and especially worth it if you like some of the more agressive Sabbath offerings or more recent bands like Slo Burn.

(article published 16/10/1997)