Iron Times is the sixth album of German death metal quintet, the first for Massacre Records, as well as the first (and last) for veteran vocalist Marc Grewe (Asinhell, ex-Morgoth).

Inspiration taken from the countless wars through history (as well as the ongoing Ukraine/Russian battle), it’s not surprising that the deadly roar and massive growls will sends shivers to spinal columns, rattling bones through his unmistakable measured wordsmith mastery. Musically the band juggle mid-tempo offerings with bursts of speedier affairs – the guitar work from Sebastian Schilling and Dave Hübsch thick as well as complementary, unfurling everything from tremolo runs to sinister rhythms. Whether it’s the blitzkrieg despair contained for “Blood Ritual” or Slayer/Vader-esque punishment throughout “Maschinekrieg”, there’s no shortage of impressive energy, deadly transitions, as well as the intuitive timing necessary to keep interest high from opening salvo to the fade out conclusion. Subtle keyboard orchestration allows the slower double-kick foundation for “Bringer of Demise” to gain that much more militant impact, while “Mercenary” forces your ears to submit to the caveman riff groove that Obituary put on the map – Marc channeling those Tardy-esque soul swallowing screams/growls from below. Alexander Krull (Atrocity/Leaves’ Eyes) takes care of the production, mixing and mastering from his always reliable Mastersound Studio – leaving Discreation in the capable hands to focus solely on the execution of these tracks.

This beefy style intertwines a mix of European/American influences, and while not exactly breaking down the barriers of meat and potatoes death metal, Discreation delivers their songs from a straightforward, pull no punches perspective that works. Those who choose to get the CD digipak will enjoy their Motörhead cover “I Am the Sword” from 1993’s Bastards – a probable left-field effort that should remind you of the well-regarded discography of the legends in heavy music. If you enjoy the purity of death metal, Iron Times fits that mold.