▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███
░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓
███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░
███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████
███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███
███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███
███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███
▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███
███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███
██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███
░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███
░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀
██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██
░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░
▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓
░ ██ ██ Artist: Iron Mask ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Black As Death █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2011 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2012-01-14 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: AFM Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ From the beginning on passion always was the █
█ driving force for Belgian guitar master Dushan █
█ Petrossi. In the slipstream of his symphonic metal █
█ band Magic Kingdom, Petrossi followed his █
█ neo-classical influences with IRON MASK for 10 █
█ years now. All the dedication he put into the band █
█ finally resulted in IRON MASK becoming the more █
█ successful of the two. Especially in Japan they █
█ are is hailed as one of the best neo-classical █
█ power metal band for years now, but also the █
█ following in Europe is steadily increasing. █
█ This development surely will continue with the new █
█ (fourth) album äBlack As Deathô. Even more: the █
█ perspective for IRON MASK is very promising and █
█ it?s likely that the band will advance to the next █
█ level of popularity. █
█ As their new vocalist ex-Yngwie Malmsteen frontman █
█ Mark Boals was chosen by Petrossi. █
█ äAfter having the material recorded I realised █
█ that Mark Boals would be the best singer for most █
█ of the new songs, range-wise this is my most █
█ technically difficult album to sing, so Mark ended █
█ up on 10 songs, Goran Edman on one and Valhalla █
█ jr. on one (+ the vinyl bonus track), as he is █
█ recovering from a neck surgery and couldnÆt do █
█ moreö, Petrossi explains. █
█ █
█ IRON MASK stand out from many other artists of the █
█ neo-classical metal genre because they manage to █
█ combine high musical ambitions with a certain kind █
█ of accessibility and lots of variety. Therefore █
█ you find high-speed tracks (äFeel The Fireô, █
█ äôBlizzard Of Doomô, äNosferatuô) epic songs like █
█ äGenghis Khanô, the impressive title track äBlack █
█ As Deathö and the incredible äGod Punishes, I █
█ Killô beside catchy hard rock tracks (äBroken █
█ Heroô, äRebel Kidô, äThe Absence) û a varied █
█ mixture, forged by Petrossi?s songwriting skills. █
█ With äMagic Sky Requiemô (sung by Goran Edman) █
█ äBlack As Deathô also offers a beautiful ballad. █
█ On the European bonus track äEvil Strikes In █
█ Silenceô we get to hear Gotz äValhalla jr.ô Mohre █
█ on vocals, as well as on äMarch Of The Slavesö █
█ which will be available on the vinyl edition █
█ (2-vinyl) of äBlack As Deathö only. █
█ The album?s mix and mastering was handled by the █
█ experienced Dennis Ward (Krokus, Pink Cream 69, █
█ Silent Force, Angra) who made the song material █
█ (which was produced by Dushan Petrossi himself) █
█ shine in the best of ways. █
█ █
█ With "Black as Death" Dushan Petrossi and his band █
█ manage the feat of musical claim to be merged with █
█ accessibility, so fans of Firewind, Dio, Iron █
█ Maiden, Yngwie Malmsteen and Rainbow will all have █
█ their joy in this extraordinary album. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. From Light into the Dark 1:40 ░
░ 2. Black as Death 6:59 ░
░ 3. Broken Hero 3:19 ░
░ 4. Feel the Fire 4:35 ░
░ 5. Ghengis Khan 5:54 ░
░ 6. God Punishes, I Kill 7:42 ░
░ 7. Rebel Kid 5:03 ░
░ 8. Blizzard of Doom 5:20 ░
░ 9. The Abscence 4:09 ░
░ 10. Magic Sky Requiem 5:42 ░
░ 11. Nosferatu 6:29 ░
░ 12. When All Braves Fall 5:43 ░
░ 13. Evil Strikes In Silence (Bonus Track) 4:47 ░
░ 67:22 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
■ █▄ ░ ██
▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░
▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓
▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■
░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░
▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░
█▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓
█▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█
▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒
░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░
▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓
█▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓
░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒
█░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█
███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░
▓██ ░ ██▓
██░ ░██
█▒ ░ ░█
▀█ █▀
▓ ░
░