Dushan signed with Lion Music in early 2002 to record a side project Iron Mask. The band’s name and some songs of the album are also based on the famous book ‘The man in the Iron Mask’ by Alexander Dumas. Great melodic power metal music is what you will get from this band, Dushan’s guitar playing is influenced by a lot of different musicians and composers like Handel, Verdi, Paganini, Mozart. This album was titled 'Revenge Is My Name'.
The opening song of the album ‘Enemy Brother’ is Handel‘s Overture arranged for electric guitar by Dushan, recorded with a real string section. Yngwie Malmsteen, Michael Romeo, Michael Schenker and Gary Moore are Dushan’s electric influences.
Dushan‘s got his own style of playing and to compose music is what he likes most mixing his influences to create his own universe which combine melody, energy, fantasy, virtuosity, epic lyrics and incredibly fast soloing, he’s one of the best guitar player of the new generation. Bass was recorded by Vassili Moltchanov (also in Magic Kingdom), who played with the famous Russian band Master in the 80’s . The vocals were recorded by Phil Letaw (ex-Cryme), a perfect mix between Dio and Mark Boals. Keyboards recorded by virtuoso Youri Degroote. If you like good catchy metal songs with a shred attitude then The Man In The Iron Mask is for you.
Dushan then set about recording the Scorpions track 'Yellow Raven' for Lion Music's Uli Jon Roth tribute Beyond Inspiration as well as recording a inspired interpretation of the Rainbow classic Gates Of Babylon for Lion Music's' Ritchie Blackmore tribute Blackmore's Castle I.
Iron Mask then returned in April 2005 back stronger than ever with a truly great new album and line up on Hordes Of The Brave. The album combines majestic arrangements with mind blowing power throughout the 11 tracks on offer - all penned by Dushan Petrossi.
New vocalist Goetz ‘Valhalla Jr’ Mohre contributes incredible vocals reminiscent of Graham Bonnet or David Coverdale with Bruce Dickinson-esque touches. This unique voice combines the finest melodic qualities with an aggressive delivery. Guest vocalist Oliver Hartmann (ex-At Vance) adds vocals to 3 tracks: The Invisible Empire, Crystal Tears and Iced Wind Of The North (a duet with Mohre).
After a successful collaboration on the 2nd Magic Kingdom album (Metallic Tragedy), Dushan just had to work with Hartmann again due to their similar influences. The recording of the lead and backing vocals as well as the epic choir arrangements were done at Hartmann’s ‘Alive Studio’ in Germany. The music was recorded in Brussels throughout 2003 and the first half of 2004 (in ‘Iron Kingdom’ studio, and ‘Galasse’ studio). On the performances of Mohre and Hartmann Petrossi comments, “These two great metal singers contributed the right feeling and performances for these melodies, which are the best and catchiest I have wrote to date - destined to become live anthems”.
The metal scene’s hottest keyboardist Richard Andersson (Majestic, Time Requiem, Space Odyssey) is responsible for all the keyboards solos on ‘Hordes Of The Brave’. Andersson immediately accepted the job after hearing the material and contributed speedy, symphonic, classy yet melodic neo-classically-inspired work. The matching of Petrossi and Andersson has produced one of the finest pairings in neo-classical history, along with some of the most awesome fast, furious yet melodic soloing duels heard to date.
For the rhythm section Petrossi relied upon the rock solid rhythm section of Magic Kingdom. Vassili Moltchanov (one of the most respected bassists in Belgium) and Russian drummer Anton Arkhipov (famous for his work in thrash band Exhumator) deliver breathtaking technique and energy. In addition Anton studied at the Musical Academy in Minsk and possesses a good strength at orchestral arrangements.
The title ‘Hordes Of The Brave’ is a tribute to Alexander The Great, one of the greatest conquerors and warriors of all time. Despite being an arrogant and ambitious character he was full of respect for the lands he invaded and their people’s rights and races. As with ‘The Man In The Iron Mask’ an epic story has influenced Petrossi’s lyrics and music.
Didier Chesneau at ‘Melody Studios’ in Paris mixed ‘Hordes Of The Brave’ during August 2004 delivering a sound that is both loud and clear. Mika Jussila mastered the album at the famous ‘Finnvox’ studio in Finland. The album artwork is by Leo Hao (Blind Guardian, Magic Kingdom, Iced Earth, Nocturnal rites) an artist from Moscow.
‘Hordes Of The Brave’ is a marked contrast to Dushan’s other releases in that there are no instrumental tracks - only good old epic hard rock with excellent singers. Music fans can expect a lot of melody, baroque and a few progressive influences. Simply ‘Hordes Of The Brave’ is great song writing and 6 exceptional musicians – nothing more, nothing less.
On the subject of the music Petrossi says, “I’m doing the music I love and I don’t care about what’s in fashion or nu metal shit. Nor what’s original or not in the metal scene. Neo-Classical Metal has been deeply rooted in my heart and mind for years, so when I’m composing new material I do not think – “This is sounding like Yngwie or whoever; better put it in the trash”. I never do that because this music is being true to my heart and it’s the way I hear music”.
Lineup
Current lineup:
Dushan Petrossi - guitars, composing & songwriting
Mike Slembrouck - vocals
Vassili Moltchanov - bass
Ramy Ali - drums
Former & guest members:
Mark Boals - vocals (2010-2014)
Goetz "Valhalla Jr." Mohr - vocals
Roma Siadletski - extreme vocals and backing vocals
Carsten "Lizard" Schulz - vocals (live)
Göran Edman - vocals (Track 10 of Black as Death)
Oliver Hartmann - vocals (2009-2010)
Marcos Rodriguez - vocals (live)
Fil Letow - vocals
Diego Valdez - vocals
Richard Andersson - keyboards (2003-2005)
Mats Olausson - keyboards (2011-2015, his death)
Andreas Lindhal - keyboards
Phil Giordana - keyboards (live)
Erik Stout - drums
Anton Arkhipov - drums (Exhumator, Magic Kingdom)
Discography
* Revenge is my Name (2004)
* Hordes of the Brave (2005)
* Shadow Of The Red Baron (2009)
*Black as Death (2011)
*Fifth Son of Winterdoom (2013)
*Diabolica (2016)
*Master of Masters (2020)
Shadow of the Red Baron
Iron Mask Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A combat of squadrons
With led bursting guns I'm in for heaven's destruction
The sun in my back and the target below
My tactic's a nose-dive
I fire at will - them bullets granting reduction
Airborne I am, out in the skies
Courage has wings, see how it flies
Only one thing gives me doubts
Phantom striker, shadow of the Red Baron
Height-bound hiker dying all alone
Shadow of the Red Baron
Shadow of the Red Baron
A legion of eagles we're looking for kills
Well practiced maneuvers
The prevailing wind allows a swifter attacking
I'm fully aware of the risk which I take
I hope that I meet him
The best of us all - is gonna bleed for the wrecking
Airborne again, out in the skies
Up and down I cut the clouds
Courage has wings, see how it flies
Only one thought gives me doubts
Phantom striker, shadow of the Red Baron
Height-bound hiker, dying all alone
Shadow of the Red Baron
Shadow of the Red Baron
Yeah!
Airborne again, out in the skies
Only one thing gives me doubts
Phantom striker, shadow of the Red Baron
Height-bound hiker, dying all alone
Shadow of the Red Baron
Shadow of the Red Baron
Yeah!
The lyrics of Iron Mask's song Shadow of the Red Baron paint a picture of an exhilarating air battle. The singer is flying in a plane, engaged in combat with other squadrons. Despite being in the midst of destruction, he feels like he is in heaven. He dives towards the targets below, unleashing bullets that grant him success. The imagery used in the lyrics is gritty and vivid, portraying a fierce determination to emerge victorious.
The singer also mentions the Phantom Striker and the Red Baron, two legendary figures in military aviation history. The Red Baron was a German pilot during World War I, who became famous for his aerial combat skills. He was called the "Red Baron" because of the distinctive red color of his aircraft. The Phantom Striker appears to be another skilled pilot, who is chasing the Red Baron. The lyrics suggest that the singer hopes to meet the Red Baron himself in battle, considering him to be the best of them all.
The song's upbeat tempo and energizing rhythm make it a perfect fit for action scenes. The lyrics, while simple, convey a sense of excitement and adventure. Shadow of the Red Baron is a tribute to the brave souls who fought in the skies, risking their lives for their countries.
Line by Line Meaning
The air battle stages in front of my plane
I am witnessing a battle taking place in the skies before me.
A combat of squadrons
There are multiple squadrons fighting against each other in this battle.
With led bursting guns I'm in for heaven's destruction
Using powerful guns that burst with led, I am here to cause destruction and chaos.
The sun in my back and the target below
The sun is behind me and my target is below me.
My tactic's a nose-dive
I am using a nose-dive maneuver as my tactic.
I fire at will - them bullets granting reduction
I am firing at will and the bullets I shoot are reducing the enemy's combat power.
Airborne I am, out in the skies
I am up in the sky, in the air.
Up and down I cut the clouds
I am cutting through the clouds, moving up and down in the sky.
Courage has wings, see how it flies
I am displaying my courage, and it is soaring through the skies.
Only one thing gives me doubts
The only thing that gives me doubts is my impending danger.
Phantom striker, shadow of the Red Baron
I am a phantom striker, the shadow of the Red Baron.
Height-bound hiker dying all alone
I am a hiker bound by height, and I feel like I may die alone.
A legion of eagles we're looking for kills
I am part of a group looking to make kills, much like a legion of eagles.
Well practiced maneuvers
We have practiced these maneuvers multiple times to perfect them.
The prevailing wind allows a swifter attacking
The winds are in our favor, allowing us to attack more swiftly.
I'm fully aware of the risk which I take
I understand the dangers of my actions here, and am taking the risk anyway.
I hope that I meet him
I hope I meet the best of them all, which would make for an exciting fight.
The best of us all - is gonna bleed for the wrecking
The best one among us is going to suffer and bleed for the fight we are in right now.
Phantom striker, shadow of the Red Baron
I am a phantom striker, the shadow of the Red Baron.
Height-bound hiker, dying all alone
I am a hiker bound by height, and I feel like I may die alone.
Yeah!
An expression of excitement or enthusiasm.
Airborne again, out in the skies
I am back in the sky, up high in the clouds.
Only one thing gives me doubts
The only thing that gives me doubts is my impending danger.
Phantom striker, shadow of the Red Baron
I am a phantom striker, the shadow of the Red Baron.
Height-bound hiker, dying all alone
I am a hiker bound by height, and I feel like I may die alone.
Shadow of the Red Baron
I am the shadow that follows the legacy of the great Red Baron.
Shadow of the Red Baron
I am the shadow that follows the legacy of the great Red Baron.
Yeah!
An expression of excitement or enthusiasm.
Contributed by Harper S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
KING 741728
The air battle stages in front of my plane
A combat of squadrons
With led bursting guns I'm in for heaven's destruction
The sun in my back and the target below
My tactic's a nose-dive
I fire at will - them bullets granting reduction
Airborne I am, out in the skies
Up and down I cut the clouds
Courage has wings, see how it flies
Only one thing gives me doubts
Phantom striker, shadow of the Red Baron
Heightbound hiker dying all alone
Shadow of the Red Baron
Shadow of the Red Baron
A legion of eagles we're looking for kills
Well practiced manoeuvres
The prevailing wind allows a swifter attacking
I'm fully aware of the risk which I take
I hope that I meet him
The best of us all - is gonna bleed for the wrecking
Airborne again, out in the skies
Up and down I cut the clouds
Courage has wings, see how it flies
Only one thought gives me doubts
Phantom striker, shadow of the Red Baron
Heightbound hiker, dying all alone
Shadow of the Red Baron
Shadow of the Red Baron
Yeah!
Airborne again, out in the skies
Only one thing gives me doubts
Phantom striker, shadow of the Red Baron
Heightbound hiker, dying all alone
Shadow of the Red Baron
Shadow of the Red Baron
Yeah!
KING 741728
The air battle stages in front of my plane
A combat of squadrons
With led bursting guns I'm in for heaven's destruction
The sun in my back and the target below
My tactic's a nose-dive
I fire at will - them bullets granting reduction
Airborne I am, out in the skies
Up and down I cut the clouds
Courage has wings, see how it flies
Only one thing gives me doubts
Phantom striker, shadow of the Red Baron
Heightbound hiker dying all alone
Shadow of the Red Baron
Shadow of the Red Baron
A legion of eagles we're looking for kills
Well practiced manoeuvres
The prevailing wind allows a swifter attacking
I'm fully aware of the risk which I take
I hope that I meet him
The best of us all - is gonna bleed for the wrecking
Airborne again, out in the skies
Up and down I cut the clouds
Courage has wings, see how it flies
Only one thought gives me doubts
Phantom striker, shadow of the Red Baron
Heightbound hiker, dying all alone
Shadow of the Red Baron
Shadow of the Red Baron
Yeah!
Airborne again, out in the skies
Only one thing gives me doubts
Phantom striker, shadow of the Red Baron
Heightbound hiker, dying all alone
Shadow of the Red Baron
Shadow of the Red Baron
Yeah!
AmericanAviator
Never before have I bought an album so quickly. This is awesome!
gonçalo Baia
Damn it the remaster in this one is way better than back as death, and that chorus is so gorgeous man. I imagine if it was still Mark Boals here, that guy has some fuckin pipes
CentauriShin
Holy shit, 'five stars for power metal'. I remember when we had a star rating system. Those were the days, man.
CentauriShin
@Statoil Bensin Man, that was seven years ago. Maybe more. I think so?
Statoil Bensin
Was it on youtube?
Fernando Borjas
One of the greatest power metal song of all time.
andres ortiz
this song is so rocking wooow I can't believe... great job, congratulations.
muskatDR
I love the cd cover and title! Now i wanna get in a german trippeldecker tearing apart the sky
Brady Fisher
Joffrey Verbeeck he only flew the triplane late in the war