HEIMDALL – Hard As Iron

The Italian band Heimdall is back with their fourth album, Hard as Iron. The album isn’t as hard as they claim, but definitely more aggressive then previous efforts.

So what is there to say about this album? … Not good enough!

They are good musicians, no doubt, and this could have been a great album, but the vocals don’t match with their music, or vice versa. Singer Giacomo Mercaldo has a very dark and flat voice, and at times it almost sounds like he’s trying to sing like a tenor. The worst thing is probably his pronunciation; it’s very south European. Also, the bad arrangements don’t do him any favors! The instruments on this album fail to flow together, and a lot of the songs don’t even fade out at the end.

Amid these shortcomings, Heimdall have used great effects on this album, such as different guitar types, epic choirs, and very cool keyboard arrangements. This said, the singing just ruins it all, and it makes you think of old medieval-time movies by Monty Python (which are quite fun …).

To point out some other highlights on Hard as Iron songs like “Cold,” “Black Tower,” and “Black Heaven” are pleasant to listen to and not as dark as their song titles may indicate. They also deliver great acoustic guitars and great keyboard work. Still, after four albums in six years, they are not yet quite there, but regardless …. Forza Italia!