Album Review: Iron Reagan - "The Tyranny Of Will"
Kyle Reese: What day is it? The date!
Cop in Alley: 12th... May... Thursday...
Kyle Reese: WHAT YEAR?
- The Terminator (1984)
It's true, the year is 2014 but it could just as easily been September in the mid to late '80s. The U.S. is having disagreements with Russia, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are hot and "The Tyranny Of Will", the new album from Iron Reagan, is right in line with the hardcore/thrash scene of that era. Heck, just invoking Reagan name turns the clock back a couple of decades.
Fronted by Municipal Waste's Tony Foresta, Iron Reagan features Phil Hall, also of Municipal Waste, on guitar, Ryan Parrish of Darkest Hour plays the drums, Mark Bronzino on guitar and bassist Rob Skotis.
"The Tyranny Of Will" is 24 songs that provide a punk/thrash/hardcore soundtrack that will slap your dad and make your mama drop the bacon. Clocking in at just over half an hour, it plows through track after track with a ferocious intensity.
As a metal head of the '80s, this is the style of music I absolutely loved back then. "The Tyranny Of Will" is similar to the S.O.D/ M.O.D. albums, D.R.I. circa "Four of a Kind", and the like but has a thrash element that reminded me a bit of Exodus' first record and, to a lesser degree, "Among The Living" by Anthrax.
But this is a new kind of hardcore/thrash album. It's so much less, let's say sloppy, than the records of yesteryear. It still has the rage, the :14 second songs (see: "Your Kid's An Asshole") and poignant yet virtually unintelligible lyrics but Iron Reagan is much tighter with slightly more focus on production quality than those '80s albums.
As the album title indicates, several of the songs on "The Will Of Tyranny" are anti-government or, at least, anti the current state of government. For example, the lyrics of the title track; "Hidden agendas/ Informing the world of made up facts you use to push your views/ With tireless effort/ You see nothing wrong to mislead millions to their foreseen doom/ This war machine fueled only by lies/ Forcing skeptics to run for their lives/ With tireless effort, endless ammunition/ A cycle of hate with non-stop repetition/ I call bullshit on it fucking all/ And you should too before its all gone/ They’re just lying to steal the world".
Not to sound repetitive but it seems what was old is new again. Sadly, these same lyrics could just as easily have been recorded 30 years ago without changing a word.
But the album is not strictly political. The rest of the songs are generally anti-establishment, non-conformist rants but with a bit of encouragement presented in an angry way. "Exit The Game" is a call for gamers to turn off the TV and do something with their lives. "All day long you sit and play/ Hoping to block out reality/ In that world you are the king/ But the truth is more disgusting/ Every hour that passes is fixed/ On getting past level six/ The worlds hard to endure/ So you hide behind closed doors/ Exit the game!".
And there's a little fun and gore too as in "U Lock The Bike Cop", "Rat Shit" and "Eyeball Gore".
Musically, "The Will Of Tyranny" is fast and brutal. The rhythms are infectious and make you long for the opportunity to rid yourself of all your angst in a good, old-fasioned mosh pit.
For me, the song that encapsulates the theme of the record is the last track, the heavy, driving "Four More Years". The lyrics are presented in the form of an elected official speaking, "What I really need now/ Is just a little more time/ To make the wrong decisions/ To put us years behind/ Four more years/ It’s all that I need/ Cash and fear/ To fuel this greed".
"The Tyranny Of Will" makes you want to get up and move. Once you get a handle on the lyrics it may inspire you to change the world or, if not the whole world, at least your little part of it. If you've been living with pent up aggression and a feeling of hopelessness then Iron Reagan may be your ticket to salvation. It's a reminder to not get caught up in the day to day nonsense, to stay on top of things and take control of your life and always question authority.
On a personal level, this Iron Reagan album brought me back a few years and reminded me how anti-authoritarian I used to be. I may have mellowed a bit as I've matured but that younger me is still in there. "The Tyranny Of Will" will certainly appeal to younger folks with their angst and willingness to take on the world as well as more seasoned metal heads. Regardless of where you are in life, this album is certainly worth your consideration.
