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It's been seven years ago when I received a copy of IRON GIANT's debut album 'No Longer Sleeping'. This album didn't blew me away, but it was a pretty good start. Heavy guitars, raw vocals and plenty of grooves reminded me to bands like later COC and Orange Goblin and it was highly probable that this Canadian band will go their way. My assumption has proven right, because their second album is a decided improvement acroos the board. Released in 2008 on Diminished Fifth Records, 'Creator of Scars' is chock-full of adrenaline-driven songs, powered by filthy riffs that are heavier than on the debut. Each songs is catchy as hell and the mighty lungs of vocalist Chris Lewis fit to IRON GIANT's thunderous metal-soaked heavy rock like chalk and cheese. For the first time IRON GIANT live up to their name and the scale of this improvement is impressive. From the very first minutes of the title track 'Creator of Scars' the passion and energy is palpable and they don't lose grip over the following 38 minutes. A very few tracks are too similar for my taste, but that doesn't take away the fun from this album. The mighty grooves are irresistible and unfolding as much energy like a power station. From time to time the band refines their sound with a slight southern blues edge or they slow down the pace. 'Creator of Scars' is a damn good album, and I suggest to drink several cold beers whilst listening to IRON GIANT. If this guys keep the quality then their third album will be a masterpiece.
Diminished Fifth Records
January 19, 2009, 05:38 PM
Having recently reviewed an album from Diminished Fifth Records a few months ago, I knew roughly what to expect from Creator of Scars. Yes that’s right more dirty southern, bluesy metal and rock n’ roll. The first thing I noticed about Creator of Scars was the album cover. On the rear cover Iron Giant have written a poem that contains all the titles of all the songs, which is a general piece about what else but working class life, drinking and fighting.
I started listening to Creator of Scars and realised that something was wrong. It wasn’t bloody loud enough. So I cranked up the volume and got myself a beer and pulled a stupid face, you know the one where it’s looks like your trying to play air guitar by gurning like a bastard along to the groovy dual lead harmony bit. Creator of Scars is dirty like a trailer park whore and listening to it is just like her – insert very rude act here – and you loving every second.
Iron Giant have been given the godly gift of chugging and grooving. This is a gift that I can always appreciate. In life I love nothing more than finding new music and Creator of Scars really ices my cake. The sound is solid, dirty without being over fuzzy and on the whole just spot on, the bass and guitars just sit so snugly together and the dynamic punches are a real blow. If you like you metal grooving Iron Giant have created a gift for you. Don’t deny your ears the treat of hearing this.
Six years between albums is barely acceptable for established acts. For those that haven't left the dark recesses of the underground, it's damn near an eternity. I mean, why bother? Everyone's moved on to something else, right?
If that's true, then let's just treat Iron Giant's Creator of Scars as the debut album by a brand new group, not the follow-up to an album that came out over half a decade ago (and, to be honest, one that wasn't all that distinguished to begin with). The band falls decidedly in the 'riff rock' category, with the most obvious influence coming from Deliverance and onward Corrosion of Conformity. But in spite of the genre and band familiarity, Iron Giant makes Creator of Scars their own. They've got some real strong tracks, such as the anthemic title track, the Motorhead thrash of Blind by Midnight, and the booze fueled destruction of 'Flip the Switch. Other songs, such as Fuel on the Fire and Everytime sound like what America's Volume Dealer could have/should have been hard driving rock that puts the emphasis on groove.
Simply put, this one's too good to allow it to fall through the cracks. Let's hope there's not another six years before the next album. Recommended.
A long six years have passed since Moncton's Iron Giant released their debut record. And although some of these songs have been posted on the group's Myspace page for months now, fans have clearly been clamouring for more from the Giant and that time has finally arrived. From the word "go", the group lays down dirty, heavy riffs sure to please the most ardent metal or stoner rock fan. The Giant has always straddled the boundaries of both of these genres (in my opinion) and continue their take no prisoners approach on Creator of Scars. Highlights include the hard-hitting Black Hides The Sun, the COC-worthy title track as well as the sludgy Sabbath drawl of Nothin Means Nothin To Lose.
I doubt a better-crafted record will emerge from Moncton this year. Iron Giant is best appreciated live, but Creator of Scars should hold you over nicely until you can see the band up close and personal for yourself. Check this out.
From the opening title track Iron Giant has me hooked. Their mighty music moves enough meat, muscle, and testosterone to live up to the moniker they have chosen to take on the world. Their rude rubicund rouse should be a wake up call for those of you who think you know the rock but have not proven it as your destiny. The Dionysian drive is so there that it causes one to start playing air guitar immediately. The riffs are as big and bad as the best MONSTER MAGNET has to offer. Maybe it’s the weed I’m smoking today (a tiny bowl of reg I bummed from a friend) or the fact that MUDHONEY is playing, what appears to be, their first show in South Florida tonight since the 90’s I suppose. Today I got the rock and can’t be stopped.
Although Chris Lewis' range vocally is not anything to write home about, his attitude and strength more than makes up for it. He hits and holds longer notes when the time calls for them with solid tone and timber. He also has the balls to print all his lyrics (most of which are pretty damn good). Derek Robichaud’s moving Marshall madness is so friggin’ thick that it’s hard to believe he does not completely drown out bassist PJ Dunphy’s solid suction of all things low end. And how can PJ go wrong with Jon Flanagan’s flails that fuse his tight twenty-two action with double duty pedal to the metal? Actually the double kick drum sounds as much rock as it does metal. It’s as if Jon fully understands the TOMMY ALDRIDGE approach to two bassers when it comes to rock. Most drummers turn your rock into metal whether you want it or not when the double kick commences. I hope the drummer named Jon that my band is trying out next week plays like this. I gotta keep those fingers crossed.
The sheer power of “Creator Of Scars” is so that it is easy to overlook it’s slight missteps. The twelve tunes in 38 minutes would weaken if even a song or two were added. This could be a concern if the band were to play live for over an hour. What would make it work better would be to stretch out the jams a little further with more guitar solos or some more powerful extended middle sections with more group improv and what not. These guys got the meat and potatoes in spades. There could be just a little more spice sprinkled. If two to four of these three and a half minute monsters of mayhem were stretched outwards to six minutes with some this (and some of that), you can sure fire bet that there will be absolutely no dissent what-so-fucking-ever from the DMD camp. Shit, there hardly is any of that in the first place.
Though they may not be known too well in the United States, Canada’s Iron Giant have made quite a big name for themselves throughout the eastern part of the country. After some lineup changes and a near six year gap since their debut album, the group is back with Creator of Scars and is sure to impress hard rock/rock ‘n roll fans everywhere. Iron Giant may not be the most complex, but as far as hard hitting, ass kicking rock ‘n roll goes they are certainly near the top.
Right from the start, the riffs on Iron Giant’s sophomore album are sure to draw comparisons to both Motorhead and Corrosion of Conformity (and for a more recent example, Valient Thorr). But unlike Corrosion of Conformity, this band only has one guitarist. However, guitarist Derek Robichaud is able to create noisy enough riffs that could rival bands with two players. A few of the songs on this album do admittedly sound a little similar to one another, but as a whole Iron Giant offers up great groove based hard rock that is sure to please listeners from far and wide. The tempos typically range between fast and mid range (definitely closer to COC than Motorhead if you want to go by comparison), and this is yet another band that has shown that simple can sometimes be better.
As one might expect from a band of this type, Iron Giant’s vocalist sings in a gruff style that matches the nature of the instrumentals. While Chris Lewis does a competent job fronting this group, he is admittedly not my favorite vocalist on the market for this style. The reason for this is that from time to time his voice sounds a little shaky, and although he never becomes unlikable these minor shifts are noticeable to the listener. But as a whole, his gruff singing fits the band like a glove.
Creator of Scars ultimately has minor flaws, but nothing that holds it back from being a great release for fans of the genre. Fans have been eagerly anticipating this one, and these individuals will be extremely happy to learn that after six years Iron Giant has come back better than before. Hopefully this release will also help them to gain further US exposure, as this Canadian band could easily rival many of the hard rock/rock ‘n roll bands to have come from the United States in recent years.
East coast white-powerhouses iron Giant are a patient bunch of boozehounds. Only Axl Rose is more determined to take fucking forever to put out an album. Yet with the confident assault on sophomore effort Creator of Scars, waiting over half a decade for 11 songs seems understandable. Crisp, yet full of low, chunky guitar/bass lines, wailing vocals and hammering drums, the thick rumble of 'Fuel On The Fire," "I Bleed" and "One Million Times" comes blasting forth with the realization that the elongated wait was worthwhile. Lumbering and beastly, the Giant's groove-laden metal draws influence from Corrosion of Conformity, Motorhead
and Clutch, yet contains enough of their own convictions. Passionate and
dynamic, motivated and roaring, Creator of Scars is like a fully-loaded semi
uncontrollably barreling down the highway at a puny Toyota. You can imagine what
happens when said transport finally connects.
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