Country: France (Occitanie)
Genre: Heavy/Speed Metal with power and extreme metal elements
For fans of: Running Wild, Kreator, Sacral Night, Molten Chains, Zöldïer Noïz
Release: 2026
Review
Iron Slaught are a heavy/speed metal duo from Occitanie, with a sound that stands firmly on tradition but isn’t afraid to pull elements from more extreme metal. Metallic Torments is their second full‑length and shows a band that has spent years as fans and pours it all into a record full of true heavy metal, power‑metal thrash and blackened touches.
The band started around 2011, with Iron Jérémy (guitar/vocals) and a rhythm section with roots in obscure 90s death metal. The debut Crusading Metal Mercenaries (2015) was a mix of power/heavy, epic heavy and thrash rhythms, with occasional harsh vocals and tremolo riffs, somewhere between Sacral Night, Molten Chains and German power metal. A split with Tentation followed in 2018 (665 – Les Hordes Métalliques), where the approach became more cohesive, with a member of Zöldïer Noïz in the Mark II line‑up. Today, the menace is a more extreme, more aggressive version of that foundation.
Metallic Torments doesn’t change the intention: it’s a celebration of all true heavy metal things. But the band makes some choices that give it character. The drums are programmed (Stéphane Hellkine), something that’s heard more on a loud stereo than on headphones. At the same time, Iron Slaught load more black and death metal elements into power/thrash tracks, giving a darker, more aggressive dimension.
The variety shows strongly in the middle of the record: “Soldier of Fortune” is a power metal track with a strong, “uplifting” character, while before it “The Executioner” is more blackened, with blackened intensity and weight. Soldier of Fortune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrUKYOpIXzw The Executioner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKDUm5TqAd0
“Condamné pour l’Éternité” and “Primal Conquest” bring Petrozza‑style escalations, with power metal melodies that tie the thrash and power elements together better. Right after, “Charme Funeste” turns to a more melodic, almost ballad‑like style, with a “sweet” side that contrasts with the aggression of the previous ones. This constant alternation offers variety, but may seem broken to those who want a more unified style.
The steadiest flow is in the first four tracks. The instrumental “Harbinger of Afflictions (Prelude to Torments)” opens with a Death or Glory feel, and leads into “Ghastly Obsession”, where the heavy/thrash setup and the European thrash mentality come forward. There it shows that Iron Slaught have a very good instinct for thrash bravado, but struggle a little to tie it with the early 90s power metal speeds that appear elsewhere. “Soldier of Fortune” stands out like an island within the whole, while “Fatal Retaliations” and “Charme Funeste” seem more similar to each other, showing that the band doesn’t want to be locked into a single style.
Despite the confused moments, Metallic Torments is strongly built, with intensity, dark energy and several tracks that stay after many listens. Mario Lopez’s cover art is a big plus, especially at a time when AI art has filled everything; here we have real work that fits the content. Iron Slaught may not yet have reached the absolute “nitse” composition they have in mind, and a human drummer would certainly fit better, but for a broad‑minded heavy metal listener, the album offers a lot and is worth the time.
Line‑up
Iron Jérémy – Guitars, Vocals (the rest of the members are not named in the text)
You can find the album on Bandcamp here
We support the bands, which is why we recommend Bandcamp for listening to their music; that way you have the option to buy the CD you’re hearing. Our opinion carries no weight, we write just to write; press play on the tape deck and judge for yourself. Stay Metal and open your mind!
