Ironwill - Unturned

I mentioned last week when I pimped the new free Blood and Ink Sampler (here) that the label would probably quickly become a new favorite of mine and I would cover their bands because I enjoyed their sampler. So Ironwill is the newest band to the Blood and Ink roster and their debut, Unturned, is a thing of hardcore beauty.

There is nothing inovative or original about Ironwill and I don't care one bit! While I love Facedown and Solid State Records and both labels produce great music, the general genre of good Christian hardcore is kind of dead. Metalcore/deathcore/screamo or whatever have taken over the Christian loud music scene. So it's good to hear bands keeping away from trends and just being heavy.

Unturned reminds me at times of Shai Hulud and Strongarm but their sound doesn't quite fit that late 90's Florida hardcore sound. What reminds me of those two bands is Ironwill's ability to incorporate melodic guitar lines while never losing their intensity. I Am the Clay is a fantastic hardcore song that has one of the best melodic guitar riffs I've heard in hardcore. It ins't emo like Hopesfall used to do. It's just real pretty and super intense.

Unturned might be the best hardcore album released this year, thus far. I wish it were longer but the album is so good that I don't mind hitting the play button again when the albums done. Great album!

Note: I didn't mean to say that Ironwill is an unoriginal band. What I mean was the band plays old school hardcore. They might not be reinventing the wheel but they do it justice. Check this album out.