Rock On! Collection - IRIS

Welcome to the Rock On! Collection. The Rock On! Collection will be a series of my favourite artists and bands and the albums of theirs that I have reviewed. In this first edition, I am compiling my reviews of albums from IRIS, better known as Will Ryan of DAGames.

IRIS has quickly become a staple part of my day-to-day listening and I couldn't ask for much more. Each album and each song outperforms the last and they're just a delight to listen to. The connectedness of the albums with an entire story behind it is masterfully executed and is very intriguing. IRIS is an artist I highly recommend you listen to. Trust me, the music is incredible.

So far, I have reviewed all 2 albums released by IRIS as of 01/11/20, and a third one, Dawn of the Dimetrix, is coming some time within the next year.

Heart of an Artist (2018) - 10 / 10
Full review here.

 

Goliath's Throne (2019) - 10 / 10
Full review here.

DAGames' YouTube Channel here.

IRIS - Goliath's Throne (2019)

After releasing one of the most personal albums I've ever listened to, the magnificent Heart of an Artist, comes Goliath's Throne, the second studio album by YouTuber Will Ryan, once again under the moniker "IRIS". This album was first announced back in September 2018, with several singles being released between then and when it was released. On Ryan's YouTube community page, he details Goliath's Throne as thus:

The album is about the world, specifically the 21st century and it’s corporate mediums, social media toxicity, the offset effects of becoming addicted to it, and so much more.

I find this interesting, because no-one I've listened to before has decided to use internet based topics to base their album around.

Goliath's Throne is not like its predecessor. It features 14 tracks, no intro or outro, and it lasts for just over an hour. However, it does share some similarities. One of them is the fact they are both set in a fictional universe, of sorts, called the Iris. This gives the 2 albums lore and backstory, which is incredible. I love the idea of albums being stories, in which the songs detail each aspect of it. Speaking of songs, the majority of the songs featured on this album were released several months, even over a year, beforehand. Before release, Ryan went all out and essentially remastered them solely for the album. The best remakes are, in my opinion, are "I'm the Animal" and "Trojan". There are also new tracks which weren't released before the album's release, such as "Bloody Ether", which has a really cool chorus, and "You're Better Off", a song with a lot of similarities to "As The Lights Go Out".

Now, not everything is perfect in life, and this is especially true for this album. While it is the most minor thing, I'm not the biggest fan of the songs "Testify the Modern Eye" and "Goliath's Throne". This does not mean they are bad. Quality of things is relative. Others might love these songs with all their heart. I just find these particular songs a bit lacklustre in comparison to songs like "Cold Man". I would still happily listen to these songs, but it just sucks that they don't have the same impact the other songs do.

I love this album. I've been awaiting it for so long and I am so glad it's here. The performance is incredible and the instruments set the tone so well. Goliath's Throne has most definitely usurped Heart of an Artist. To conclude, Goliath's Throne is a amazing story-driven album with a message, which is conveyed so eloquently through the performance of the songs. I am so looking forward to more IRIS material in the future.

Favourite Tracks: All

Rating: 10 / 10

IRIS - Heart of an Artist (2018)

From YouTuber Will Ryan, better known as DAGames, and under the moniker "IRIS", comes his debut album Heart of an Artist, born out his own personal hardships in life. Now, this album was released in the May of 2018, and I had no idea it existed until I discovered it in September. "Better late than never", they say, and I can most definitely agree. This album is a rock-fest, filled with 10 amazing tunes, an intro, and an outro. When I first listened to this, I was blown away by the capability Ryan has as an artist, and not only that. I was blown away by how much passion and soul he put into the album.

I remember walking home from school, just jamming out to "Lost Now Found" and "You're Just Making Us Stronger" and still, they are arguably the 2 best songs on the album. At least, in my opinion. On the subject of the songs themselves, the majority of them are absolute bangers, with composition created with drive and determination. The most personal song to Ryan is "As The Lights Go Out" being described as one "close to my heart", and with that, it's a more relaxed piano-based song, rather than drums and guitar. This being said, Ryan did make a rock version of it and with everything else thrown in the mix, he added more emotion to an already emotional song. The album in its entirety is born out of his hardships in life and as a YouTuber, which is shown through the lyrics of each individual song. With the highs comes the lows, meaning there was 1 song that I'm not particularly fond of, which is "Castle That Never Dies". While I say "song", it's a story.

"The story is about my struggles and my friends and family being the characters in the story, but also represents that hardest thing I've ever had to write in my entire life... I hope not for this to be a favourite song... But a story that I can tell all of you."

Don't me wrong, it's not bad. It's another personal song written by Ryan, but the reason it's not my favourite is mainly due the fact it's not a song. I do like it, but it's not my favourite.

In conclusion, this deep, driven, heart-and-soul-filled debut album by DAGames / IRIS is one of empowerment, almost. Detailing your life experiences, allowing others to listen, allowing others to relate is something I will greatly respect. Can't wait to see what The Goliath's Throne has to offer.

Favourite Tracks: "Lost Now Found", "Too Dangerous", "You're Just Making Us Stronger", "Heart of an Artist"

Rating: 10 / 10

Upcoming Reviews

I've been away from this for a fair while, and considering how I've thoroughly enjoyed making these reviews, I've come up with plans to review some more albums. As of right now, there are only 3 albums that I know I will be reviewing but I have some more that I can do.

The upcoming albums are as follows:

Through Fire - Breathe (Deluxe Edition) (2017)

Skillet - Victorious (2019)

IRIS - The Goliath's Throne (2019)

As always, you can message me on Twitter at @lwilsher02 and suggest albums on there.

Thank you for being patient.

See you in a few,
Lewis.