(Traditional Heavy Metal) Iron Kingdom - Curse Of The Voodoo Queen - 2011, (image+.cue), lossless

#777Chris Osterman: vocals & lead guitar
Jordan Wright: rhythm guitar & backing vocals
Leighton Holmes: bass
Amanda Osterman: drums & backing vocals

Born two generations too late, these kids should have been playing with and filling stadiums alongside the likes of Iron maiden, Judas Priest and/or White Wizzard. Just like Trivium building a revival of the Metallica and Megadeth era with a New Wave flavour with The Crusade so too is this group bringing back around Heavy Metal, but with a truer more pure respect for their Idols. Provided they can find an environment that will truly support them, because I honestly don't think that will happen in Surrey or entirely in Vancouver, Iron Kingdom should fair quite well in their career.
This review comes as an almost complete contrast to another band who I thought had potential but just missed the target.
I apologize if I'm wrong, I don't have a lot of info on the band members but judging by the photos in the insert, they look to be no older than 19 years old which makes this album even more impressive. What's more is that Iron Kingdom has done everything right. The product I received give me exactly what every packaged good should. The great cover art and typography of the band name is concise and already shows me what I'm going to get. The pictures in the insert of the band, both posed on the back cover and in action throughout the leaves of the booklet, shows me who they are what I will see when I go to a live show. visually, all elements are in line with a clear vision of what the band is. If I read the lyrics, I get the themes and stories the band is trying to tell in colour; not vague or uninspired. I'm not saying this is the best album ever, but it is damn good.

Right out of the gate and with a little refinement, The Voodoo Queen is mascot worthy, and should they choose, be just as iconic to them as Eddie is to Iron Maiden or the razorblade for Judas Priest, though this calls to attention the clash of ideals between voodoo and their name which conjures images of knights in armour in merry old 1400's England.

The music is right on the money. It sounds exactly as it should. Excellent riff, leads, bass, vocals, and tight drumming from Amanda Osterman, a talented young woman. Not that gender matters, but its not often you see women in metal by comparison, let alone killing it behind the kit! The lyrics are great and invoke visions of what the song is it about, whether it be armies of long-haired, leather-bound metal-heads, fists raised in allegiance or a crimson haired witch who seduces you to get at your soul.

Chris Osterman's voice is ridiculous. His falsetto wail blows me away in the opening seconds of Fired up. Legions of Metal is anthem-worthy. Montezuma; a catchy, thirteen minute epic of awesome. After listening to the album all the way through, it was stuck in my head and made me want to listen to the album all over again. Leighton Holmes holds down classic thunder and contributes almost half the pen duties on the album. I'm not a fan of listing specifically who writes the music or who writes the lyrics but some people like to know who does what. I find it just often leaves important members of to the side. Having said that, I would be remiss to not to mention Jordan Wright, holding down the tight guitar rhythms while Osterman leads, and beefing up the vocals in chant-worthy moments.

I want an Iron Kingdom/Voodoo Queen Baseball Tee so I can blast this album and try to sing along, banging my head and driving to the stadium in my Trans Am to drink cans of Bud in the parking lot before the Iron Kingdom show! Fuck I wish it was the 80's right now.