Let me start by saying that the nom de jure adopted by this French heavy/speed metal act gives me a minor case of major league OCD. Was Iron Onslaught unavailable? How about Iron Slaughter? Iron SlaughterER?1 Anywho, the duo behind Iron Slaught started life in 2015 with their Crusading Metal Mercenaries debut,2 and it’s taken them 11 long years to get back in the black with sophomore outing, Metallic Torments. Exactly what kind of metallic torments await the listener, you ask? Well, the formula here is a potent merger of 80s Germanic thrash like Deathrow, Vendetta, and Iron Angel with classic heavy metal and touches of black and death included for extra spice. Does that sound a touch overly ambitious? Mayhaps, but the gruesome twosome behind this project brings a lot of energy and verve to the war hall, and damn if they don’t deliver pure tundra thunder at times. That’s enough to get Steel slaughting3
After a lengthy but interesting instrumental intro, the real fire gets to spreading on “Ghastly Obsession.” This is fast, aggressive 80s speed excess with a premium on catchy, melodic leads that remind me of Running Wild or their blackened descendant, Forefather. In fact, some of the rollicking, rocking riffs are so Running Wild, I almost donned an eye patch and bought meself a parrot. This means the song is plenty of wild, lawless fun, and it will bring the privateers to the YARRRRd. “The Executioner” is another rip ride, brimming with blackened thrash energy and 80s heavy metal bravado. Some of the guitar work is straight up 80s Mercyful Fate, but these moments eventually give way to German-flavored speed assaults with mucho machismo. “Soldier of Fortune” is pure 80s gold with a joyously anthemic, fist-pumping energy and wild guitar pyrotechnics. The clean vocals are interesting and not always great, but they work well enough to sell the product.
Several tracks are sung entirely in French, including the very Bütcher-esque “Condamné Pour L’Éternité” and the large-and-in-charge power ballad “Charme Funeste.” Both work despite being the language barrier for uncouth clods like myself, though the latter feels a touch too portly at 7 minutes. Many of my favorite moments arrive during the equally stout 8-plus minutes of closer “Fatal Retaliations,” where the level of blackened thrash reaches Desaster levels of berserk lunacy. There’s also a competing Grave Digger vibe that rudely and Germanically injects itself, thereby making the whole construct feel loony and amusingly over-the-top as the time passes by quickly. There’s more than enough sheer chaos in this one to keep you entertained as the duo stretches itself to the utmost compositionally. At a trim 44 minutes with no tracks tanking and only minor issues with bloatage, there’s enough unbridled enthusiasm on Metallic Torments to keep you locked in and thrashing along.
Iron Jérémy4 handles guitars and vocals, and his fretboard surfing is quite impressive. The dude can noodle up a storm, but he also has a firm grasp on how to craft memorable, ear-snagging riffs that stick the landing. Whether he’s borrowing from various heroes of 80s classic metal or veering into the extremes of thrash and black metal, there’s a keen sense of purpose and craftsmanship to what he does. His rough, raw thrash bellows and harsher blackened rasps are solid and effective, and even when he ventures into clean singing, he manages to pull it off more often than not, and at times he really brings it. Partner-in-grime Nikrass mans the bass, and though he isn’t all that audible amid the mayhem, he provides a solid foundational rumble upon which they build a temple to batshit craziness. The drums were apparently programmed, but I didn’t detect that on my review spins, so they did a good job there.
Metallic Toments is one of those unsung little albums you happen upon that ends up punching way above its weight, and there’s no way to blast this and not get your metal mood elevated. It’s easy to digest, high-octane, and ambitious enough to throw some surprises at the listener. Iron Slaught may not be a household name, or even have a name worthy of entry into most houses, but they know how to bring the metal to the filthy masses, and bring it they do here. Bless this poorly monikered mess.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Gates of Hell
Websites: ironslaught.bandcamp.com |facebook.com/profile.php
Releases Worldwide: July 10th, 2026
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