Iron Savior - 'In the Realm of Heavy Metal' (official music video)

Lightning strikes, thunder rolls
In moonless night
Hufbeats pounding through the plains
As the heroes ride

Clashing steel and battle cry
Banners waving high
The bold on the attack
Not afraid to die

Unyielding warriors
Valiant knights of honor and pride
Comrades in arms
Defeating the dark
Into glory they ride

In the kingdom of thunder and steel
Where monsters and dragons are real
Where heroes and kings
Ride into battle
Where we all unite
In the realm of heavy metal

Fire breathing demon
Lurking in the dark
But the wizard gives him hell
Brave at heart

Inside the dragon's lair
In the hope of despair
To find the one
The one that rules them all
Chosen to follow the call

In the kingdom of thunder and steel
Where monsters and dragons are real
Where heroes and kings
Ride into battle
Where we all unite
In the realm of heavy metal

In the kingdom of thunder and steel
Where witchcraft and magic are real
Where tyrants and monsters
Are meeting their fate
And die by the blade

In the kingdom of thunder and steel
Where monsters and dragons are real
Where heroes and kings
Ride into battle
Where we all unite
In the realm of heavy metal

Το μακρινό 1978 οι μαθητές Kai Hansen (κιθάρα) - Piet Sielck (φωνή) δημιούργησαν τους Gentry. Είχαν πάρει μέρος μάλιστα σε σχολικό διαγωνισμό παίζοντας διασκευές σε κομμάτια των Uriah Heep, Led Zeppelin και Black Sabbath συν δικό τους υλικό. Ακολούθησε η ηχογράφηση ενός demo. Στην συνέχεια ήρθαν στην μπάντα οι Ingo Schwichtenberg (τύμπανα) - Markus Grosskopf (μπάσο) και η μπάντα μετονομάσθηκε σε Second Hell.

Το επόμενο όνομα ήταν Iron Fist και το μεθεπόμενο; Helloween. Ο Piet Sielck συνέχισε να ασχολείται με την μουσική. Όχι όμως ως τραγουδιστής αλλά ως παραγωγός / τεχνικός ήχου. Έβαλε την "σφραγίδα" του σε πάρα πολλούς δίσκους. Συνεργάσθηκε με Saxon, Gamma Ray, Blind Guardian, Grave Digger, Twisted Tower Dire, Stormwarrior, Wizard, Paragon, Black Majesty κλπ.

Το 1996 Hansen και Sielck αποφάσισαν να θυμηθούν τα παλιά δημιουργώντας τους Iron Savior, οι οποίοι παραμένουν ενεργοί μέχρι τις ημέρες μας. Έχουν κυκλοφορήσει δεκατέσσερις "ολοκληρωμένους" δίσκους (συν δύο EPs, δεκατρία singles και ένα live album), με τον 15ο να είναι προ των πυλών. Φέρει τον τίτλο "Firestar", αποτελείται από μία... ενδεκάδα τραγούδια και αναμένεται στην "καρδιά" του φθινοπώρου μέσω της AFM Records, με το μουσικό βίντεο του τραγουδιού "In the Realm of Heavy Metal" να προετοιμάζει το έδαφος...

Δελτίο τύπου: «Unleash the fire within and embark on a sonic journey with Iron Savior's monumental album "Firestar." An inferno of metal mastery that will leave you breathless and craving for more.

Sometimes pure coincidence or seemingly inconspicuous little details can turn a very good album into an outstanding release. In the case of ‘Firestar’, the latest studio recording by Hamburg power metal act Iron Savior, it has come as a real surprise even for singer/guitarist Piet Sielck that the new songs surpass the material of the impressive predecessor album ‘Skycrest’.

In fact, the cornerstones of the current offering were already set and pointed to a successful production within the tried and tested framework, when all of a sudden everything turned out rather differently:

“Just before the recordings were finalised, I was inspired by the muse, totally of the blue. I wrote two more songs out of nowhere and changed a third one on the spur of the moment. And suddenly, ‘Firestar’ turned into an even better record,” says Sielck happily, admitting that this unexpected creative surge “triggered great emotions” in him.

‘Firestar’ will be out on AFM/Soulfood on 6 October 2023, with a number of singles scheduled to be released on 1 July 2023 to whet Iron Savior’s fans’ appetite for the upcoming masterpiece.

The three tracks that Sielck is referring to are the anthem ‘In The Realm Of Heavy Metal’, the title track ‘Firestar’ and the final ‘Together As One’, where the basic structure had already been finalised when he changed the chorus, and the number “immediately turned into real highlight”.

Mind you, doesn’t this superlative apply to every one of the eleven songs? After all, the title track is irresistible and with its incredible 176 bpm definitely one of the fastest songs in Iron Savior’s history to date.

On the other hand, ‘Firestar’ features a wide range of influences from hard rock to pop, all calibrated to heavy metal standards thanks to those typical Iron Savior virtues.

Such as ‘Through The Fires Of Hell’ with its emotionally charged lyrics dedicated to the Iron Savior boss’s wife. Sielck: “In our blended family with three wonderful daughters, we’ve gone through any number of ups and downs together. I’d go to hell and back for her every day if I had to.”

Speaking of which: To Piet Sielck and his three comrades-in-arms Joachim ‘Piesel’ Küstner (guitar), Jan S. Eckert (bass) and Patrick Klose (drums), the content of their material is much more than a mere accessory.

“We have to be able to identify with our lyrics, they have to be relevant, otherwise they don’t work for us,” comments Sielck on the parameters of the words of his material, which, despite certain fantasy/sci-fi leanings, is always about the basic rules of coexistence, about respect and tolerance, about good and evil, and evidence – as Sielck puts it - “a Hanseatic view of things”.

The same can be said of the four songs featuring Iron Savior’s typical Atlantis theme and to ‘Across The Wasteland’ with its reference to Steven King’s ‘Dark Tower’ series.

Iron Savior have again come up with an exceptional studio album in ‘Firestar’, enhanced by Felipe Machado Franco’s impressive cover artwork presenting the Iron Savior spaceship that has been around since 2011.

The cherry on the cake is the powerful production courtesy of Hamburg’s Powerhouse Studio, including intelligently positioned keyboard parts and the anthemic background choirs, supported by Sielck’s 17-year-old daughter Frida and her boyfriend. There can be no doubt about it: ‘Firestar’ is a bonfire in many respects!»

Band: Iron Savior
Country of origin: Germany
Location: Hamburg
Formed in: 1996
Genre: Speed/Power Metal
Lyrical themes: Ongoing science fiction story, Heavy metal
Years active: 1996-present

Video: "In the Realm of Heavy Metal"
Video by: Jan Season
Visual Effects: Perl Productions
Video editing: Perl Productions

Album: "Firestar"
Type: Full length
Release date: October 6th, 2023
Label: AFM Records
Format: CD, 12" vinyl, Digital

Track listing:
01. The Titan
02. Curse of the Machinery
03. In the Realm of Heavy Metal
04. Demise of the Tyrant
05. Firestar
06. Through the Fires of Hell
07. Mask, Cloak and Sword
08. Across the Wastelands
09. Rising from Ashes
10. Nothing Is Forever
11. Together As One

Band members:
Piet Sielck - Vocals, Guitars
Jan-Sören Eckert - Bass, Vocals (additional)
Joachim Küstner - Guitars
Patrick Klose - Drums

Miscellaneous staff:
Felipe Machado Franco - Cover art
Piet Sielck - Recording, Mixing, Mastering