From Elmshorn to the clubs of the north
IRON AGE formed in 1990 in the quiet town of Elmshorn and soon became part of the Hamburg scene. From the start the band played the clubs and youth centres of Schleswig-Holstein almost every month. Drummer Ines Baum took care of management, and before long the tour dates were showing up in Metal Hammer and Rock Hard.
The name comes from a MOTHER’S FINEST album – the influences, though, could hardly be more varied. Versatile, yes, but never outside the traditional spectrum.
What feels obvious today was still unusual in the early '90s: a mixed line-up of women and men. The band put out a demo in 1993 and another in 1994, then decided to record an EP with the small Hamburg label Crossroads – “Concussion Of The Brain”. Cut half analog, half digital. Distribution was handled by Semaphore, followed by strong reviews in the relevant magazines and plenty of shows in and around Hamburg.
After a line-up change, work began on the first full-length album, again at the Crossroads Records studio. The material was even more ambitious and would certainly have stood a chance in 1998. But internal tensions – partly down to the sheer range of influences in the band – led to Jan Eichelbaum leaving. No replacement could be found. IRON AGE split up, for the time being.
Today the band is back together and already writing new songs. Thanks to GoldenCore and ZYX, this re-release gives the EP a second chance – and the album that never came out can finally be heard.
