Year of the Metal Tiger starts off strong with my favorite song on the album, "Heavy Metal Holocaust." It's a slow, gritty song about Ozzy and the devil. It's got a "Devil Went Down to Georgia" feeling to the lyrics, except just a bit different. I do love that a zombie Randy Rhodes saves the day. I love that kind of song. The next song is called "Beast in Black." It is a faster-sounding song about a knight of years ago. "Beast in Black" has a very power metal feel to it with a bit of a speed metal sound as well. The third and fourth songs really sound alike to me. They both have a generic metal sound and are both about battles. "Island of the Damned" is up after that. It's got a completely different theme from the rest of the album as it is about voodoo. "The Kaiser" is a slower song about love, but not exactly what you're thinking when I say love. The final song on the album is called "We Are Ignitor" and is a bit of a theme song for the band. It's not my favorite on the album, but it is good with a heavy beat and a strong, solid sound.
While Ignitor: Year of the Metal Tiger is not my favorite of the CDs that I have reviewed lately, it is a heavy contender. These musicians are quite talented and I really like the new lineup for this band from Austin, Texas. Yes, it is a bit different feeling having a male vocalist instead of the quite powerful Erika Tandy, but I think that McMaster does an amazing job providing just as much power. Ignitor's older works do sound a bit different, but if you're a fan, you will still enjoy this new offering.
