Texas death unit I Am will release their Eternal Steel full-length September 9 via MNRK Heavy, today unveiling the record’s artwork, tracklisting, and first single.
Brandishing a unique blend of furious thrash and death metal like a weapon of mass destruction, I Am is purely no-nonsense in their patented “Texas Death” assault.
Across three full-length slabs of bludgeoning intensity and snarling rage, I Am puts a Southern stamp and revitalized swagger into deathcore, a subgenre rarely as raw, energized, and diverse as this band. In the spirit of fellow Southern icons Pantera and newer Texan heroes Power Trip, I AM channels discontent and anger into empowering anthems, as likely to inspire a grueling workout as to incite the pit. Reminiscent of the combination of death metal heaviness and thrash metal speed found in the early catalog of Sepultura, I Am mines the heaviness of Morbid Angel and the dexterity of the Big 4 to create something groundbreaking of their own. Vocalist Andrew Hileman -- who started the band in 2011 -- guitarists Tom Reyes and Chris Burgess, bassist Erik Rodriguez, and drummer Ian Scott deliver their Texas Death in clubs, theaters, and festivals, with bands like The Acacia Strain and Kublai Khan.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Randy Leboeuf (Kublai Khan, Sentinels, The Acacia Strain), Eternal Steel, the quintet’s debut for MNRK Heavy, combines the onslaught of the band’s well-received Hard 2 Kill (2018) with the primal bite of Life Through Torment (2017) into a singular statement of intent.
“We took what we did well on Hard 2 Kill to new extremes on Eternal Steel,” notes Reyes. “It’s faster than the last album, it’s heavier than the last album, and it expands on every other aspect of our sound. ‘Heavy’ doesn’t always have to mean ‘slow.’ Frequently for us, the faster parts are equally as heavy.”
In advance of the release of Eternal Steel, today I Am unveils a video for the record’s first single, “The Iron Gate”.
Comments Hileman, “When searching for solace and protection, I tend to find it’s often met with opposite hostility. The process of growth only occurs when forced into these uncomfortable situations. ‘The Iron Gate’ is that place of cruelty that I find so beautiful for the soul. Beware and enter if you dare.”
Eternal Steel will be released on CD, LP, cassette, and digitally. Preorder at iam-eternalsteel.com.
Tracklisting:
“The Primal Wave”
“Surrender To The Blade”
“The Iron Gate”
“Eternal Steel”
“Vicious Instinct”
“Infernal Panther”
“Queen Incarnate”
“Heaven On Earth”
“Price Of Pain”
“Eye Candy”
“Manic Cure”
“The Iron Gate” video:
(Photo – Kevyn Reece)
