There's a lengthy back story in the CD booklet, but here's the Cliff's Notes version: Back in 1970 there was a band out of southwestern Scotland by the name of IRON CLAW. They went through a few lineup changes yet managed to record a bunch of demos and share the stage with some pretty big names. However, as you may have deducted due to the fact that you've never heard of them before, success eluded the band and they broke up in 1974. Fast-forward to 2009 and Rockadrome Records, the guys who introduced the 21st century to acts like TRUTH AND JANEY and POOBAH, have released these demos in this here self-titled CD. The songs that compose this CD show a band clamoring for its own identity. Sometimes it pays off wonderfully for them, and other times… well, read on…

The first few tracks are from the band's original lineup, and it's these that will most likely appeal to the metalheads. These songs combine the creepiness of SABBATH with the rawness of a PENTAGRAM demo, and with some damn effective riffs along the way, particularly "Mist Eye" and "Crossrocker" (the latter of which is actually not too far removed from early PRIEST). Unfortunately, they're also about twice as long as they need to be, not to mention the fact that the monotone performances of their original vocalist keep a song like "Skullcrusher" from living up to its name. As the liner notes suggest, though, there were apparently sound-alike accusations from the SABS' management (money-grubbing bastards…). So this, along with hiring a new vocalist who could also play flute and harmonica, was what caused IRON CLAW to go in a more folk/blues direction. Their thinking-outside-the-box songwriting approach has mixed results, with some interesting ideas like "Pavement Artist" and some not-so-interesting ones like "Rock Band Blues," a track that's pretty much as blah as its name. And the further we get into the album, the less metal it gets, yet this is where they really start sounding like sound-alikes. "Knock 'em Dead" owes far more to THE ROLLING STONES than SABBATH, and "Gonna Be Free" is an awful lot like, well, FREE. Points should be awarded, though, for some daring moments in experimentation along the way, from extended reverb-soaked guitar intros ("Strait Jacket" - their typo, not mine) to saxophones ("Loving You") to - brace yourselves - a love ballad complete with Mellotron strings ("All I Really Need").

But wait! Easily the band's finest accomplishment is the album closer "Devils." Imagine if the guys from SABBATH and ATOMIC ROOSTER got high while watching B-movies together. This song really has it all: a high-pitched shriek followed by Halloween-y synth and flutes, then some seriously heavy riffs and equally heavy vocals full of occult references. It's also kind of sad, though, to think about what other kind of stuff they could have come up with had circumstances been different. Either way, IHSAHN, eat your black heart out!

Pro wrestler Mick Foley once described character development as the act of throwing a bunch of shit at a wall and seeing what sticks. Perhaps no other band has taken this practice to heart more than IRON CLAW. Sure, just about every band out there has the desire to try new things and evolve to some degree, but what's remarkable about what IRON CLAW accomplished is that they did it in only four years… and through some pretty humble means. Did all their ideas work? Not exactly. But overall, is this disc still worth checking out? Put it this way: As a whole, any fan of obscure rock should be able to 'dig' IRON CLAW (yeah, sorry about the bad pun, but you get our 'point'… oh wait… damn).

- Cardona

OFFICIAL SITE: www.rockadrome.com/label/articles.php?article_id=36

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