Iron Thrones

The re-release of the full-length debut from Minneapolis, MN's Iron Thrones combines powerful heaviness with melody in a way that gives their progressive death metal sound even more of a modern touch. Visions of Light lies somewhere between the realms of Opeth and Poison the Well, taking the best parts of each band — Opeth's darkly epic harmonics and Poison the Well's aggression — and creating an innovative release. Vocalist Adam Clemans' constant death growls are highlighted in "The Dark Design" and "The Final Farewell." The band's excellent guitar work is displayed in "Heart of the Light," which contains catchy rhythm guitar riffs that transition to melodic leads. At just over 12 minutes long "Cover of Smoke" has a post-rock feel and is the most melodious tune on the album. The clean guitar parts create a beautiful ambience, while intervals of aggressive vocals and distorted chugging riffs take the song to heavy heights.