HIS NAME WAS IRON, BUT IT MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN EVERY TIME I DIE

I don’t think he leaves comments around here all that often anymore, probably because you guys are so charming, but the MetalSucks Maniac known simply as “Sammy” might actually be our longest-running reader who isn’t related to us. Dude was leaving comments here back when when we like all of ten people we didn’t know were actually visiting the site.

So when Sammy sends me an e-mail asking me to check out a band, I check out that band. Motherfucker has earned the right to the go to the front of the line.

Alas, Sammy’s most recent recommendation, His Name Was Iron, is, in my opinion at least, kinda stinky.

For the most part, His Name Was Iron sound EXACTLY like Gutter Phenomenon-era Every Time I Die. And I mean EXACTLY. Like, the way Throwdown sounds JUST like Pantera, and The Crusade sounds JUST like Metallica, HNWI really do have the whole ETID thing down pat. At times, Their singer (who is listed on their MySpace page only as “Ryan”) even sounds exactly like Keith Buckley.

And maybe that shouldn’t bother me — after all, I have nothing but nice things to say about ETID, and Gutter Phenomenon is a great fucking record. If you’re gonna display a complete lack of originality, there are far worse bands and albums you could ape.

The problem, really — besides the fact that total lack of originality can be seen as something of a bummer, I mean — is that when His Name Was Iron actually do stray from the Every Time I Die formula, they get things wrong to a massively irritating degree. Offenses include a vocoder-heavy clean vocals and way, way, way too much chugga-chug for this day and age.

But don’t take my word for it! Check out His Name Was Iron for yourself and see what you think. Then come back and tell us whether or not you dig ’em in our comments section. I’m sure Sammy will appreciate your opinions.

-AR