The Ironfist have been part of the Singapore underground since 1998, so ‘Necro Vengeance’ comes with quite a bit of history behind it. Rip Alhuzzred has also been involved in more projects than most people could keep track of, which makes it almost necessary to check the band name twice before pressing play. Thankfully, this is clearly an Ironfist record.
‘Necro Vengeance’ leans heavily towards the Black/Thrash Metal side of the band, with early Death Metal coming through in the guitar work. The influences are hardly a secret. Possessed, Morbid Angel, Immortal, Mayhem, Mercyful Fate and Black Sabbath have all been mentioned by the band, and there are clear traces of that old school approach throughout the album.
The riffs are the strongest part. There is plenty of fast material, but the record isn’t just one long blur of speed. Some of the slower and heavier passages work particularly well and give the album some needed variation. The guitars have enough dirt and bite to suit the material without turning the whole thing into an indistinct mess.
Psycho Fai’s involvement is another important part of the record. Having one of the older Ironfist members back gives the album a stronger connection to the band’s earlier period. Fai has been around this story long enough that his return almost deserves its own discography, but his contribution here is more important than the novelty of seeing his name again.
The production is raw. At times the guitars and drums compete for space, and some details are easily missed when the songs get busy. It could certainly be clearer, but the roughness isn’t completely out of place. A cleaner production would make the individual parts easier to hear, although it could also take away some of the underground character.
Where ‘Necro Vengeance’ works better than ‘Akumalize’, in my view, is focus. ‘Akumalize’ has a different direction, with its Japanese themes, folklore, samurai imagery and Heavy Metal influences. It is an interesting album, but it moves further away from the Black/Thrash Metal identity associated with The Ironfist.
‘Necro Vengeance’ stays closer to that territory.
That doesn’t make it a perfect record. A few arrangements could have been shortened and there are sections where the ideas don’t connect as naturally as they should. Some riffs are much stronger than others. The album is at its best when The Ironfist keep things simple and let the riffs carry the songs.
The response to the record appears to have been positive, particularly within the Singapore Metal scene, and the release also attracted attention outside Singapore. There isn’t enough independent coverage to call it a universally acclaimed album, though. Most of the available comments and coverage come from the band, labels and interviews surrounding the release. So I would put it in the category of a well-received underground release rather than a record that suddenly changed the scene.
For me, ‘Necro Vengeance’ is a better record than ‘Akumalize’ and one of the more convincing releases from the later Ironfist period. It has enough of the old character without simply trying to recreate the band’s past.
And considering Rip’s apparently endless list of bands and projects, getting him to concentrate on one Ironfist record long enough to make it sound this focused is probably an achievement in itself.
