Heavy Metal Resource Reviews-Mono Inc., The Rods, Iron Savior, Mob Rules, & Paradox

Index

Mono Inc. is a band with a decent sized catalog, but also a band I had not been familiar with before this new record. The music is classified as dark rock and the band hails from Hamburg, Germany. They have been on the scene since around 2000. I checked out my promo and something about these guys just drew me in. The music itself tends to be catchy in nature, but also has a decent degree of depth and atmosphere which is kind of a staple of this genre I believe. A large chunk of the album is vocalized in English, but there are a few select tracks that are sung in their native language. To me, they all sound good. I like the melodic stuff like the track 'Fly' or even 'Ravenheart'. The piano work on the latter has a nice feel to it. With this being an intro for me to this band, I felt this album was solid and I do have an interest digging into their catalog a bit!

Release Date: August 15, 2025

The veteran rockers return with another slab of metal tunes that shows the band are still as relevant today as they were back in the 80's when I first discovered them. This new album has some re-imagined classics of which 'Hurricane' was always a favorite of mine going back to me discovering the band with 'The Rods Live'. Also 'Wild Dogs Unchained' with a ramped up version of 'Wild Dogs' from the album of the same name. One of the elements on the album I like is fusing in some good melody here and there to add a bit more depth. Take for instance 'Tears For The Innocent'. Plenty of melody that builds in tempo. The album overall has a pretty gritty sound to it and if you are familiar where the band has been recently, you'll get the idea. Another favorite of mine is 'Run Run Run'. Plenty of groove on this track. Another well written and delivered album!

Release Date: September 6, 2025

Iron Savior return with another re-forged album that takes on a variety of tracks from the early 2000's. The album opens up with one of my all time favorite tracks by the band 'Never Say Die' that was originally from the 'Dark Assault' album. That album is represented well as is 'Battering Ram'. A variety of other tracks from 'Condition Red' and 'Interlude' are also present. The music is a bit heavier in ways and maybe a bit more gritty in tone. It is interesting to dig into these songs in an unfamiliar track order and musical context. Kind of gives the whole thing a fresh feel in a way. Also offered at the end of the album is a heavy version of the Judas Priest classic 'Starbreaker'. I always felt that Iron Savior fit into the same power metal genre with bands like Judas Priest, so they pull these covers off with ease. Another very cool re-forged release with a great track lineup!

Release Date: August 22, 2025

As I was getting off the ground with this webzine, Mob Rules is one of the early bands I got exposed to. I was a big fan of their power metal sound back in the day. The band have continued to put out impressive content since those days and 'Rise Of The Ruler' is no exception. To me, this album may sound a bit more updated due to today's sound standards, but at it's core it reminds me of those earlier albums like 'Temple Of Two Suns'. Mob Rules once again doing what they do best, delivering a total experience to the listener. Interesting content, very good musicianship from all involved, and production. The album has a good thick full bodied sound to it and the melodic areas have great clarity. This is one of the band's best moments to date. You can feel the confidence in the music and writing in general. Very nice job once again gentlemen!

Release Date: August 22, 2025

44 years of history and this is the band's ninth album overall. The band has an impressive thrash catalog and with 'Mysterium', there are some more even impressive things going on. Charly Steinhauer has handled everything on this album. A one man production machine. All musicianship, writing, production... everything. The results are amazing as always. Songs are well written and most are 5 minutes plus in length. A couple of short intro style tracks lead in here and there. Plenty of riffing and frenzied tempo drive this album. It's a heavy album, but does at times feel a bit like a power metal album as well. I have found this band impressive for some time especially being part of the thrash movement. Paradox adds a bit of depth here and there but never compromises the intensity. If you love thrash metal, this is definitely and album you should check out!

Release Date: September 26, 2025