Adjacent to our beloved Dungeon Synth niche comes another genre microcosm! Inspired by Conan The Barbarian, we get a stream of Fantasy synth music akin to Might & Magic. Its safe, heroic, triumphant. Honour conquers evil without indulging in the menace of such an infernal foe. So much so that Atlantean Sword's music carves itself a clear distinction. One perhaps overpronounced on this, their latest record.
Ironmaster oozes with heavy layerings of metallic synth. Gleaming horns, militant percussion and organ drones pack together a dense atmosphere. Rigidly marked by the clattering of metal strikes and deep gongs, its aesthetic design lumbers along within its own crammed production. Intention is clear but often feels smothers by its own tone. The finer persuasion of melody struggling to break the massed mold.
Lead instruments do arise, hearty harps and fulgent flutes sparkle animated melodies. There sudden emergences also feel somewhat stiff and cramp. The music ebbs and flows with sudden dramatic shifts that lack a charm despite serving the bigger picture well. Its progressive nature plays into the unfolding Fantasy narrative. Epic chord arrangements can be heard evolving a songs direction yet often competing for focus.
For this sorry listener, Ironmaster never quite pulls one into its clearly vivid, fully realized world. Aesthetic design and musical intent is clear. For whatever reasons, it comes together a touch forceful and overplayed. Hard hitting instruments, lacking subtleties, rubbing up against starkly repetitive percussive strikes. It dispels a magic that could have been. A fair, intriguing listen but not much to return for.
Rating: 4/10