Ironiclast by The Damned Things

Comprising Anthrax’s guitar players Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano with Fall Out Boy’s Andy Hurley and Joe Trohman and frontman Keith Buckley from Every Time I Die, it would be easy to assume that supergroup the Damned Things sound like a motley mess of metal-core pop-punk thrash. But in actuality *Ironiclast* is a quintet of guys who just want to play old-school hard-rock at eardrum damaging volumes. Taking a cue from 1988’s *Beetlejuice*, “Handbook for the Recently Deceased” opens with some Black Sabbath-inspired sludge before Buckley contrasts the tune with soaring melodies. “Bad Blood” is a fierce standout that rocks like a Monster Magnet jam with radio-friendly vocals, while “Black Heart” reveals that the band may have a shared adoration for early KISS recordings as Buckley vamps it up a bit à la Paul Stanley while the band blast ham-fisted beats and classic arena riffs with the power to feather the hair of 10,000 denim-clad boys. Unearthing more Sabbathesque riffs on “Graverobber,” it’s apparent that the Damned Things are having heaps of fun with this project.

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3.5 / 5

The Damned Things - Ironiclast review: With their debut, The Damned Things have created one of the most fun and enjoyable Hard Rock albums of the year.