The mighty Iron Reagan have returned with another adrenaline-pumping album, Crossover Ministry (Relapse). From start to finish, this record is sure to keep your heart rate up and keep your attention. Most impressively, while there are key elements shared across each song there are also still sufficient differences to each track to keep it fresh.

This was easily one of the most difficult albums to come up with favorites for. Not only are there eighteen tracks, but all of them are great songs. ‘Dead With My Friends’ is the track that stands above the rest however; the longest track on the album at just over three and a half minutes it can also be considered the heaviest one on all of Crossover Ministry. Lyrically this song also has a much angrier feel compared to the other tracks which are, while still political, still have that party atmosphere.

On the other spectrum, one of the more fun tracks on the album for sure is ‘Fuck the Neighbors’. The title really speaks for itself which honestly does not happen all too often nowadays. Goofy clips of a pissed off neighbor play at the beginning, the song slams massively and the ending is the icing on the cake. The closer, ‘Twist Your Fate’, is this album’s Slayer song for sure. When that riff hits and you instinctually start headbanging… that’s it! The ending of the track is strangely eerie which wraps the album on an ominous tone.

Thrash/Crossover has always been a love of mine since early high school, but of late, I had kind of forgot about it in a sense. Iron Reagan’s Crossover Ministry has pulled me back in forcefully and beat me up for having forgot in the first place.

8.5/10

TIM LEDIN