NEWS: Iron Kingdom paint in blood…

Soaked in themes of endurance, mortality and the human cost of ambition “Shadows And Dust” from Canadian Traditional Heavy Metal force Iron Kingdom is set for a 6th June release via French label Steel Shark Records. The band’s sixth album has given up a second single in “Blood and Steel”, the song inspiring the albums cover art which depicts an army marching across a desolate landscape.

Vocalist and guitarist Chris Osterman: “We wanted the song to feel like a march. It’s very bass and drum driven in the verses, with guitars layered in strategic spots. It’s a different kind of song for us, and I think it’s going to add something special to our live sets. This album plays in a dark realm. But that’s exactly what will make it accessible to people going through tough times. The music shows hope for a way out. It’s a journey, one we can’t wait for fans to experience front to back”

Bassist Leighton Holmes: “The inspiration for ‘Blood and Steel’ came from two places. One draws from Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen, and the other from imagining myself as a soldier in Alexander the Great’s army, twelve years into a campaign, thousands of miles from home, questioning how I got there. The endless marching, the battles, the weight of the gear… It’s a brutal life, and in a small way, it parallels the blood, sweat, and tears of touring in a band.”