Album Review: IO – Fire

May 24, 2021 | Reviewed By Nick Davarias

Roman Sludge and Doom metallers IO are here with their first full-length release titled ‘Fire’. The band who formed in 2015 managed to catch the attention of Italian record label Argonauta Records and have recorded their first record under the notorious underground label. I just had to see what all the noise was about so without further adieu, here are my thoughts on IO’s ‘Fire’.

The album starts with ‘Third Eye’ and it’s safe to say that IO are intending to get you in for the long haul. The mix of sludge and doom metal works well together and the track feels evil as hell. Fabio’s howling vocals wouldn’t sound out of place on a black metal record and it adds another layer to the bands sound that allows them to stick out from the pack. A strong start to the bands first records release!

Continuing the gloomy atmosphere, ‘Fire Walks with Us’ is one of those tracks that can keep you hooked for its entire duration which is impressive as the song is over 10 minutes long! The drowning riffs from Fabio accompanied by a dominant bassline from Stefano capture your mind while the intricate drumming from Valeria will have you grooving to the evil symphony. It’s clear that the band know exactly what they wanted to go for with this track and they have nailed it first try.

‘Loki Patera’ is an ok entry into the album however, I did find myself becoming disinterested in this track quite a bit. Unlike the previous song, the duration of the track seems to drag a little and it struggles to keep you engaged for all 9 minutes. It’s by no means a bad track and some of the riffs that feature throughout the track are quite memorable. Unfortunately, the song just loses its way at times.

The final track of the album titled ‘Poseidon (In Lava Sea)’ is also the longest track coming in at a whopping 16 minutes and 28 seconds! I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried that the song would grow stale after some time however I have been left pleasantly surprised. Boasting a tonne of dark atmosphere and an overwhelming feeling of dread, IO has nailed the whole doom metal thing with this track. Slow and methodical is a perfect way to sum up this track, and I think that this behemoth of a track may be my favourite from the entire record.

IO have done an amazing job with their first full-length record. The band seem to have a tonne of potential and I could easily see them making their way up the hierarchy of the Sludge and Doom metal communities alike. I recommend IO to fans of Sunn 0))), Swallow The Sun, or Candlemass.

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