Released: Dec 14, 2010
Genre: Hard rock, heavy metal
Label: Mercury
Number Of Tracks: 10
As it turns out, 'Ironiclast' isn't quite worth the sum of its unusual parts.
IroniclastFeatured review by: UG Team, on december 22, 2010 0 of 6 people found this review helpful
Sound: Think back to 2009 when the news of this project broke. We all struggled to envisage a way in which all three contributing parties (Anthrax, Fall Out Boy and Every Time I Die) could have had their voices heard on a single record. Contrary to popular belief, musicians are capable of working in more sounds than the one they are famous for, but with ‘Ironiclast’ it sounds like an explosive culture clash has left the band in a Wild West fallout.
Every Time I Die’s fingerprints are smeared all over this record – it’s their all-American swagger that gives ‘Ironiclast’ its whole aesthetic. It’s a throwback to classic hard rock and blues, but one with post-modern awareness and, it’s safe to say, a lot more bite than most classic rock records. Guitarist and producer Rob Cagganio’s experience with metal and hardcore mixing has certainly helped him harness the power of a six-piece, three-guitar band. Going beyond that, we start to hear more melodic material and it’s at this point that the album’s major flaw makes itself apparent; nobody expected this to sound like Fall Out Boy and it is, right enough, a world apart in terms of timbre but those vocal hooks have forced their way in. Even with Keith Buckley’s bluesy, beardy twinge they are unmistakably born from the school of Stump and Wentz. It’s tune-writing ability that, while admirable, simply hasn’t adapted to the rough-and-tumble of hard rock, and doesn’t sit quite right in this context. // 6
Lyrics and Singing: If you need to bring a spot of class to proceedings, you can always count on ETID’s Keith Buckley. His note-perfect performance renders him unrecognisable at first; with a well-oiled (and possibly sober) band behind him he doesn’t fit as snugly as you may have hoped. There’s no doubt that the aforementioned melodic writing is to blame for that, though, as he more than conveys his considerable talent. His lyrics are also of a high quality, and have been revised to fit the Damned Things framework. His razor-sharp tongue has, to an extent, been blunted and removed from the cheek but this album could have fallen flat on its face with an average singer and lyricist and Keith Buckley is neither of these things. // 7
Impression: Forming this band was a fanciful escape from the norm for Trohman & co, but the fun factor is diluted too often to really have an impact. The album improves towards the end (‘Graverobber’ and the title track), where Buckley finally settles into his usual mode of address, the Anthrax guitarists get down and dirty and generally everyone finds a healthy medium and sticks to it.
This is the sort of thing you’d play to your dad to prove that they still ‘make ‘em like they used to’ – truth is that they don’t, but ‘Ironiclast’ is a valiant effort which is worth an inspection from the curious and obsessive. At least Kerrang! TV won’t be running out of music to use on ad bumpers any time soon. // 6
Ironiclast
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on january 14, 2011 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Sound: Wow what can I say, Anthrax, FOB, ETID, members coming together. Well I am a fan of FOB and Anthrax but never have heard of ETID which is good since I wont look at this as another ETID cd.
The influences of each band are very different and come toghether quite nicely. Of the three bands I would say the least heard and influenced is FOB, you really don't hear much of their kind of stuff on here, it is mostly hard hitting Anthrax like guitar work with a Thin Lizzy.
I give the sound a 9 because they successfully blended their bands unique sounds together. It's hard core, bluesy at times with excellent riffs. What more can you ask for. The Album is mixed very well though I think they should have turned up the bass guitar a tad since the three guitars kind of drown it. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: Keith's singing is spot on throughout the album. He both screams, and howls at the best times and knows when to kick back the softer side. His vocals do fit snugly. I'v read reviews that state that the lyrics can be read like poetry and that they are well written.
This is true, I read over every lyric of every song and all prove to be well thought out works of art that show no influence of FOB except mabye the chorus of Great Reckoning but aren't we all suckers for a ballady chorus sometimes. Keiths razor sharp vocals are definitely present on this album. // 10
Impression: This is a great album if you like a mix of hard core in your face rock/metal with some surprises and genre mixing. It's pop at the right times, its metal at the right times, its rock/bluesy at the right times and showcases how great of musicians these guys are. Hurleys drumminga is great, he's like an animal behind the kit.
The guitars all sound great with all three doing there jobs well. The above reviews don't do this album justice though the high points they make are correct. This album has a little of everything that most musicians would enjoy.
If I lost this album I'd either buy it again or download it. I understand how pop sits with some of you musicians and if you don't like pop then I would only buy select songs on this CD by sampling em on Itunes first. // 10
Ironiclast
Reviewed by:
alexander_MCR, on april 13, 2011 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: Josh Newton & Kieth Buckley of Every Time I Die!?
Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano of Anthrax!?
Andy Hurley and John Trohman of Fall Out Boy!?
All together in one really big "Super"group!?
Well, why the hell not!!!!
with 3 bands encompassing 3 main different genres (Hardcore/mathcore, Pop-rock, and thrash, obviously you'll know which band goes with genre.) you'd be mistaken for thinking this is would end up a mess, a clustered sound of all three bands, well that's a bit of yes, and a bit of no.
"Ironiclast" is at heart a hard rock album. you can see the influences: the melodic catch-iness of FOB ("Bad Blood"), the heavy-technical moments of ETID ("Ironiclast"), and the powerful riffing of Anthrax. (We've Got A Situation Here") So yes, there are influences of all 3 bands, but that is not a bad thing as the album itself shows how a supergroup should be done. And how that supergroup should release its first album. // 10
Lyrics and Singing: Kieth Buckley, we all know he can scream and roar, but here he shows off his seductive and gruff singing voice, an unexpected but pleasant surprise. Also, Kieth's love of word play is evident: in the title and in "The Blues Havin' Blues." With John and Rob on lead guitars, and Scott on rhythm and sometimes lead as well, you know there is gonna be some serious riffage and shredding on this album. And you'd be right! Andy produces some great drumming that fits in with the hard rock/groove-laden scenario of TDT. // 9
Impression: The only question you ask yourself after Ironiclast ends is: "Whens the next album coming out!?" This is a great, rocking record that will stand out among the music scene, not only from band's unlikely members, but because no band seems to have that "old school" feel to their music, its usually; Deathcore this, Crunkcore that. If your a fan of either of these bands or all 3, definitely pick this up, its a great record and one that you shouldn't miss out on!!!! Get on it while its hot! // 9
Ironiclast
Reviewed by:
Hammerzeit, on january 05, 2011 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Sound: The Damned Things could be summed up in one word: Hodgepodge. When you cast your eyes down the ingredients list you could be forgiven for at the very least raising an eyebrow. Anthrax (Rob Caggiano – who co-wrote, produced and played bass in addition to lead guitars on the album and rhythm king Scott Ian), Fall Out Boy (Drummer Andy Hurley and co-songwriter Joe Trohman) and Every time I Die (Keith Buckley) are (on paper) hardly a match made in heaven and predictably “Ironiclast” sounds like someone has strapped all three bands to a dartboard and thrown a bull’s-eye. The aggression and edgy sound of Anthrax, the sheer hard-core swagger of ETID and the pop sensibility of Fall Out Boy are all present to some extent. The resulting Frankenstein-esque creation sounds a little like Wolfmother would if they were more testicularly endowed.
That said, this is a competent album. Album opener “Handbook for the Recently Deceased” is no slouch and provides a swift kick-off to proceedings. The big tunes are present and correct and sit neat and pretty behind the album’s opening gambit. “Friday Night” is a high octane stormer and the twiddly harmony driven “We’ve Got A Situation Here” is only marginally less explosive. For every big tune though, there is one that smacks of filler. With a more saccharine vocal line “Bad Blood” could have found its way onto latter day Fall Out Boy album, which wouldn’t be a bad thing if this wasn’t a balls out bluesy hard rock album. Indeed, “Little Darling” seems out of place given that ”Friday Night” does its job better and a few tracks earlier into the album and consequently appears uninspiring. Holistically speaking though, the pros outweigh the cons. // 7
Lyrics and Singing: When I first heard that TDT were to use Keith Buckley I was apprehensive. Widely regarded as one of the best frontmen in hardcore if not music, Buckley slips into the hard rock context in a glove like manner. His melodies hold up surprisingly well and when he does get to get his growl on he is exemplary as per usual. Anyone familiar with ETID will know the high calibre of Buckley’s lyrical work and Ironiclast is no exception to this. His lyrics, while not so downright cheeky as with ETID, are engaging and read almost like poetry. Without him, this album could have struggled and while he doesn’t carry it, Buckley makes it what it is. // 8
Impression: Ironiclast is a good album and generally speaking it hits the spot when you consider what it is (a solid blues influenced hard rock album) and where it’s come from (TDT is a side project for most of its lineup). Whilst that is a blessing, it’s also where the album falls down. Ironiclast is the sum of its parts and little to nothing more. The great bands of this mortal coil are without exception more than the sum of their parts and on this showing this is not the case with The Damned Things. Ironiclast is a good album but with a cast this prestigious, we should be expecting greatness and Ironiclast doesn’t offer that. // 6
I think the one thing that ruined the album to me was the fact that Keith Buckly sort of ended up sticking out too much, and I noticed him far more than anyone else, which ok is pretty obvious given he's the singer, but it made it seem a bit TOO much like ETID, not to say that he isnt a good lyricist and vocalist, just I'm not a massive fan, and I was kinda hoping the hardcore influence would be lessened, and it would be a bit more hard rock and roll.
I only heard a couple songs, but really enjoyed them even though I don't like much from FoB, ETID, or Anthrax. Also, the music video for whatever the single is called is very well done, I recommend it to anyone new to this band.
I can see and understand the various viewpoints on it posted here but I personally love it. I'm a big fan of ETID and love the way Keith sings on the record so maybe that has a lot to do with it but I can stop listening to it.
Can someone please point out to me these "Fall Out Boy" influence's? I'm not bashing, but I streamed the album on here and I didn't notice anything that would resemble them. The review mentions vocal hooks but I thought Keith Buckley wrote all the lyrics? That's what the interview with Joe Trohman said anyway.
^ I agree Skinny. I listened to the album three times in a row, and besides the fact that Trohman can write catchy hooks I don't see anything "unmistakably born from the school of Stump and Wentz." Neither of them have anything to do with this album, I feel like giving them such an undeserved mention is just fanning the flames... Besides, those hooks are given an entirely new context given the rest of the band, and I found this album very enjoyable. And I didn't see any of this "culture clash," I felt like the different members agreed on what kind of music they wanted to make and went after it.
At the most, I'll agree that I prefer Keith in front of the barely controlled chaotic tangle of ETID, but that's probably just because that's what I'm used to. All in all I think this album is a job well done.
just had a quick listen to a random song on myspace, and even though i cant judge the whole record, i really liked it at first and them bam - the chorus sounds as if it was taken out of a pop song, just doesnt fit at all and ruins the song i think. disappointed.
This review is not really objective..obviously written by an ETID fan since the reviewer rarely takes his mouth off of Buckley's scrotum.The melodic writting combined with the hard elements gives this band a very distinctive sound and I loved the album..looking forward to hearing more stuff from them.
I first listened to this album without a clue of what to expect, being a big Anthrax fan. I was very suprised with the sound of the album, i thought that it would be very Fall Out Boy but i found that there is a heavier influence, obviously coming from the Anthrax boys. Overall not super keen on it but the album does have a few good songs.
All I have to say is this is a crappy review. It had to have been reviewed by the one guy who wasnt involved in the ten thousand other articles about The Damned Things. If you are going to review this album lowly UG Team, then why have so much hype and have it stream early on here?
you know i dont think its such a bad thing for there to be very obvious sounding fob melodies thrown in there. ive heard two of the songs and so far i can hear each members specific backgrounds and i think it meshes really well
I've gotta say I thought the second half to be slightly weaker, though it's growing on me. The title track in particular hasn't really hit home for me.
Lots I would disagree with in this review, but lots I would agree with too.
Now I haven't heard anything from the group, but hearing the complaints in the article makes me a bit skeptical to its bias. Vocal hooks and straightforward lyrics get downvotes for this album? You're giving them a bad review because of the things that make popular music popular. It sounds like the group hasn't found its direction quite yet, which is expected of any supergroup's first effort. I'm still waiting to see what direction Them Crooked Vultures will take as their first album explored every aspect of its contributing members' former projects. That should also be expected of The Damned Things. To dock points for a band consisting of Anthrax, fall out boy, and ETID for sounding like a mix of Antrhax, FOB, and ETID is just ludicrous. You got what you payed for.
So much judgement from this review ._.
In my opinion, I honestly like them a lot. My favorites are Handbook for the Recently Deceased, Bad Blood, Friday Night, and Graverobber. And I don't listen to neither Anthrax (I know, I'm retarded and I'm going to start soon xD), FOB, and I listen to a few of ETID, and I don't see what's so bad about them going in the direction they went, it sounds great, and I was honestly surprised seeing FOB members were gonna be in the band! But overall, a great band, I enjoy listening to them and they're really great and I highly recomend them for anyone from my point a view (someone who hasn't really listened to either of the 3 bands they came from) cause then otherwise, there wouldn't be all this comparison to the original group and shit. But overall, great band, worth the money, and like I said, I was very surprised hearing the members of FOB from them
Can someone please point out to me these "Fall Out Boy" influence's? I'm not bashing, but I streamed the album on here and I didn't notice anything that would resemble them. The review mentions vocal hooks but I thought Keith Buckley wrote all the lyrics? That's what the interview with Joe Trohman said anyway.
There really aren't any, except the vocal melody in The Great Reckoning. Too many people have decided, because it has FOB members who at one point had a conversation with the glitter-glam queen Wentz, that it must be exactly like FOB.
Too bad for them because this album is truly impressive. Buckley's vocals are outstanding, and the instrumentals are hard hitting in a way that has been sorely lacking in music as of late.
This review is not really objective.
There is no such thing as an objective review.
There's truth in that,but over here we have an Every Time I Die fan bitching about FOB similarities.When you review something your standpoint shouldnt be "I like hardcore music,so if it's not hardcore it's not good".
This review is not really objective.
There is no such thing as an objective review.
There's truth in that,but over here we have an Every Time I Die fan bitching about FOB similarities.When you review something your standpoint shouldnt be "I like hardcore music,so if it's not hardcore it's not good".
I'd be willing to bet that Duncan isn't an ETID fan.
The problem with all supergroups: expectations. Fans of each individual band want to hear that band's sound, while people who don't like any of the groups will always tend to hear the things they didn't like from the individual pieces. I think the person who wanted an "objective" review was looking for more of an open-minded review from someone who didn't have a bias against any of the band members previous work, which this reviewer obviously brought in regarding FOB.
I personally was looking for a little more bite from this record, but was impressed that any cohesion happened at all, really. There's potential for a really good album from these guys, and I think they could potentially lock in with the next album. It's a lot easier to write for a band when you know what the finished product is supposed to resemble. Get some touring under their belts, play the style for a year, and who knows.
i enjoyed the album. i love how it combines an 80s hard rock sound with a modern interpitation of it. ik that sounds wierd but this album is great. i highly recomend it to anyone who likes hard rock or metal. i also i havent heard it on the radio yet. keyword yet..
People shouldn't be looking at this album as "a collaboration of ETID, FOB, and Anthrax." It's a completely separate band and project, hence they mash up their own styles to create their own sound. Without comparing The Damned Things to the previous bands, I think they made a damn good album. Great riffs, catchy melodies and lyrics, and some good American rock sound. Even the mellower songs like Great Reckoning have a swagger I love
People shouldn't be looking at this album as "a collaboration of ETID, FOB, and Anthrax." It's a completely separate band and project, hence they mash up their own styles to create their own sound. Without comparing The Damned Things to the previous bands, I think they made a damn good album. Great riffs, catchy melodies and lyrics, and some good American rock sound. Even the mellower songs like Great Reckoning have a swagger I love
