True Iron Will

May 16

Written By Luke

HELIOS PRESS FUNDRAISER | THE LOST WELL | AUSTIN,TX | 05.04.2024

Where There’s a Will There’s a Gauntlet

True Iron Will perfectly bring the sound of Black Metal written in basements and bedrooms to the stage. Effortlessly. Everything is tight and practiced, but not overworked. The looseness of the album perfectly translated live. Atmosphere is everything.

Can we agree that Cody Combs, singer, is the new main character of American Black Metal? Over the top is an understatement. A lo-fi David Lee Roth. Corpse paint with aviator sunglasses, hell ya, studs, spikes, leather pants. No shirt. Just a couple chains. Actual chains. Not a necklace. And the cherry on top is a stick and poke “BADBOY” tattoo on his ribs. It’s a look that takes everything awesome, combines it and elevates it to the absolute maximum. A maximalist approach to character building that spares nothing. Total over-indulgence that is so sweet.

Photos by Sam James @samjames.jpeg

A great character elevates good black metal to an elite level. Larger-than-life personas that embody the music. Becoming just as identifiable as a band’s logo. Nattefrost. Abbath. Regular Frost. The visual counterpart to the songs become as symbolic as the songs themselves.

This isn’t the type of music for jeans and t-shirt band members. It doesn’t work like that. You need to commit to the art. Believe in it. A costume doesn’t always hide who you are. Sometimes it’s a way to give yourself permission to be who you really are. Vulnerability is the rawest thing you can bring to the stage. True Iron Will bring that.