Iron Reagan: Crossover Ministry ALBUM REVIEW

Iron Reagan are a crossover Thrash metal band from Virginia. They've been releasing albums for the last 5 years or so, and their particular mix is the ferocity and brevity of Punk, with the political leanings and riffage of classic Thrash metal. They aren't the first two to mix the genres, but they do it very well, especially on their latest LP, Crossover Ministry. The title itself points to the nature of not only the band's sound, but also to the predominant lyrical content; that being the denial of large, corporate religious organizations that take money from their congregations to pay for mansions, while everyone else lives in poverty. The group also takes shots at war, senseless violence, and neighbors who complain about noise... that last one doesn't really count, but you see my point. In short, this album is in the true spirit of both of the genres it plays in, and while there are goofy moments, ("F*** the Neighbors" being public enemy No. 1) for the most part, this album plays it straight, fast, and aggressive.

And I gotta say, that is a bit of a godsend (pun intended), because I was starting to worry that 2017 would be another year completely devoid of solid metal/ punk LP's, especially after the recent albums I've been reviewing. Luckily, Crossover Ministry hits a lot of high points in my opinion, especially on tracks like "Dead with My Friends", "A Dying World" and "More War", all of which take on a more Thrash angle, whereas tracks like "No Sell" and "Power of the Skull" take on a more Punk style. The latter in fact, reminds me a lot of The Misfits.

Aside from me simply listing off tracks that I like, there's honesty nothing more I can say than that this album is pretty much everything I could want out of a Thrash crossover record. Sure, maybe it could have been a little longer, and a couple tracks here and there are a bit too brief to leave a long lasting impression, and yeah, "F*** the Neighbors" is really stupid, but come on, the rest of the album is balls to the walls Thrash. We don't get that a lot these days.

8.3/10