Man it's been a minute since I've spent time listening to Iron Age. One of the most exciting bands of the 2000's, The Sleeping Eye was the bands greatest statement. It is eight tracks of hardcore meets thrash madness that is endlessly addictive and speaks to the overarching magic that this kind of music can have. On The Sleeping Eye Iron Age continually impress with their songwriting and gutsy sonic assault. The circle pit inspiring magic of this record makes it one of the most compelling thrash records of my teens.
I think what always got me about The Sleeping Eye was its heavier take on the crossover thrash of their contemporaries and musical ancestors. Though tracks like Arcana Pt 2 shine with the melodic guitar harmonies the group also was unafraid to touch on death metal on this record and unveil some of the darkest vocals in the history of the genre. There is a simple elegance to The Sleeping Eye in the way that it nicely combines myriad ideas in order to unleash something that is unique, iconoclastic and exciting. In many ways Iron Age capture what a fun and mosh worthy record should be all about here.
Long story short, this record is bombastic and over the top. In some ways it almost feels like a parody of a devout metal record. The Sleeping Eye is a continual exploration in taking crossover thrash to dizzy new heights. It's a fun album to blast the night away with and one that seems to continually hint at what more the group could do if they decide to put out more material. As for now, the re-issue that is coming courtesy of 20 Buck Spin serves as a fitting reminder to just how good Iron Age where at their absolute peak.
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