The Sleeping Eye is a seriously solid slab of dark, rusty metal. Old-fashioned and basic, Iron Age have delivered the garage-band metal album—lacking in originality or fresh ideas, but with talent and infectious energy in spades. The Sleeping Eye is as refreshing as it is evil.
A big reason for Iron Age’s success is their refusal to succumb to the temptation of tasteless overproduction, something which far too many metal bands have fallen victim to. The Sleeping Eye is raw and tastefully produced, with solid, rich distortion and ringing drum sounds. The vocals are less satisfying, with typical metal shrieking and growling that doesn’t have the power of the band’s instrumentals. But, thankfully, the band’s extended instrumental jams have the satisfying narrative power of early Saxon or Judas Priest, with a little added edge, thanks to the obvious influences from modern hardcore and thrash.
There’s nothing much to say about The Sleeping Eye. With only a few exceptions, Iron Age paint inside the lines, never deviating too far from the standard metal formula. For those demanding a multi-course metal feast, The Sleeping Eye may feel lazy or boring. But, sometimes, all you want is a hamburger.
In A Word: Wooly Mammoth
