''Dark Assault'' is the third studio album by the German

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

band

Iron Savior Iron Savior is a German power metal band that was formed in Hamburg in 1996. Following a period of several years working behind the scenes in music production, multi-instrumentalist and producer/engineer Piet Sielck joined with former Helloween ...

. It continues the science fiction story that the band introduced on their debut album ''

'' and continued on '' Unification'' and the ''

Interlude Interlude may refer to: *a short play or, in general, any representation between parts of a larger stage production *''Entr'acte'', a piece of music performed between acts of a theatrical production *a section in a movement of a musical piece, se ...

'' EP. It is the first album to feature guitarist Joachim Küstner and the last to feature

Kai Hansen Kai Michael Hansen (born 17 January 1963) is a German musician who is the founder, lead guitarist and vocalist of power metal band Gamma Ray. He is also one of the co-founders of metal band Helloween, which he rejoined in 2016. He is a prominent ...

before committing himself back to his band

Gamma Ray A gamma ray, also known as gamma radiation (symbol γ or \gamma), is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation arising from the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei. It consists of the shortest wavelength electromagnetic waves, typically ...

Story

From the CD booklet: Over 30 years have passed by since the IRON SAVIOR had been defeated and Terranians and Calderans finally unified. Both worlds, Earth and Calderan, have been living in brothership ever since. Within the "Federation of Atlantis" Terranians and Calderans have grown together more and more. But these golden decades ended abruptly when space and time were ripped apart and a gateway opened its mouth between the dimensions like the Jaws in Hell. This was the day when the SHADOW came. A violent and highly aggressive species emerged from the gate. The SHADOW came from another dimension, a different universe where after millions of years no other species existed any more. Since ancient times they have moved from one world to another draining all resources and energy and leaving behind cold and lifeless matter, wasteland and exploited planets. And so the universe of the SHADOW has become a universe of everlasting darkness where night has fallen for eternity. The SHADOW would be doomed to die, but they developed a technology to travel into different dimensions and realities in order to search new hunting grounds. Thus they are expanding their Empire of Darkness more and more as they have already done for millions of years. This gateway brought the SHADOW into the hemisphere of man, into a virgin and unspoilt universe with all its resources to exploit. And so the black army of the SHADOW intruded our world, merciless and cruel like deadly predators on the hunt for prey. Desperately man tries to fight back and stop the SHADOW, but it seems to be impossible... Far away from all this the IRON SAVIOR is drifting alone in deep space. Since the SAVIOR has been defeated by man, the bio-unit desperately tried to regain the control over the machine. But the artificial intelligence of the computer was still deranged and confused. The computer had gained a consciousness during the millenniums but somehow it was still tied to its basic programming from ancient Atlantis. Due to the non-existence of the Atlantian continent it always came to the fatal conclusion that Atlantis had been destroyed by the Alliance, the forfathers icof man. But finally the bio-Unit is able to convince the machine that after 350,000 years the basic programming is not relevant any more and that man actually consists of the sons and daughters of the ancient creators. And that bio-Unit and machine would have to protect and serve Atlantis. And so the IRON SAVIOR is on its way to return to EARTH... Meanwhile a devastating battle between man and SHADOW is raging. Even though man fights in defiance of death, the SHADOW is thrusting forward more and more. Through the gat the invasion troops get a neverending backup - for every destroyed SHADOW vessel ten new ones seem emerge from the gate. If the gate was inoperative, the SHADOW would be cut off from this backup... So a brave command dares to pass through the gate in order to destroy it from the beyond. The men do not know what awaits them, but it is very unlikely that they will ever see Earth again. How can they return when the gate is destroyed? And the suicide mission begins... The IRON SAVIOR opens fire to the SHADOW vessels. Grimly and relentlessly he carries out his orders and the table seems to turn. The forces of the ancient machine drive the SHADOW back to the gate. Now the gate command must be successful in order to defeat and banish this dreadful and mortal danger to man and the entire universe.....

Track listing

Personnel

;Iron Savior *

Piet Sielck Piet Sielck (born 14 November 1964) is a German power metal guitarist, vocalist and producer. He is member of the power metal, power/speed metal band Iron Savior as well as owner of the studio Powerhouse in Hamburg. Early years Born in Hamburg ...

–

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

– guitar,

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...

, lead vocals on "Solar Wings" * Joachim "Piesel" Küstner – guitar, backing vocals * Andreas Kück –

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

, backing vocals * Jan-Sören Eckert – bass, backing vocals, additional lead vocals on "After the War" * Thomas Nack –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

and

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

;Production * Piet Sielck – producer,

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

, mixing * Kai Hansen – additional production on "Solar Wings", vocal production on "Made of Metal" and "Back into the Light" * Iron Savior – additional production * Holger Drees – artwork * Maren Kumpe – booklet design * Jo Kirchherr –

photography Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...

References

{{Authority control 2001 albums Iron Savior albums Noise Records albums Alien invasions in music Albums produced by Kai Hansen