Just a few years ago at a time when dial-up internet was cutting edge, people actually paid for music, and cell phones were just...well, phones, a powerful Maryland doom band IRON MAN unleashed three full-length albums upon the underground metal hordes. Despite constant lineup changes, IRON MAN and guitar mainstay Alfred Morris III consistently delivered a crackling, roundhouse punch to the head culled from the ominous riffs of 70s longhairs. Thick, vintage tones boomed, galloped, and lurched - a seamless blend of crunching metal and doomy psych. But right around the turn of the millennium, the band seemed to vanish.

The recent 5-song EP "Submission" finds the iron gang throwing their hat into the ring for yet another round. This is simply the latest incarnation of a sonic stone gargoyle - weathered, monolithic, and forever unyielding. Timeless pieces like these could been released in '87 or '97 as well as '07. "Blind Sided Forward Spiral" (a perfect description of modern existence, no?) combines Sabs lament and the blood raw chugging of 70s PRIEST. "Run From the Light" suggests decades of PENTAGRAM worship, and the roiling, simmering riff of "Among the Filth and Slime" wouldn't sound out of place on a classic OBSESSED album.

It's an exceedingly short release, but still a prime example of front-to-back quality. For those that are weary of harmonic squeals, zip-off pants, and patchouli odor contaminating their metal, the walloping sounds of "Submission" should be the perfect remedy. Bring on the next full-length!

- Marchman

OFFICIAL SITE: www.freewebs.com/provisions, myspace.com/ironmanband

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