Metal Underground.com

In the post-Pantera era, there have been plenty of bands to try and work out a variation of the hard-partying and even harder-rocking formula that Dime, Vinnie and the boys worked out back in the day. On their full-length debut, "Chariots For Hire," His Name Was Iron tries a variation that features sludgy Pantera riffs and hardcore vocals married to the skater-friendly sounds of the Vans Warped Tour. It's not a perfect marriage, by any means, but it's hard to say that the experiment is a total failure.

The band really nails it on "The Fallen," a track that features Ryan Porter's best clean vocals, segueing well into a shouted section and back again, with a great chorus. It's got a simple, driving riff from guitarists Even Paluszynski and Josh Scott.

"How About A Little Fire, Scarecrow" also works well, with a hiccuping guitar riff and some fairly cool speed changes. From the title on down, "Go With God And A Bag Of Guns" is 20 pounds of attitude in a 10-pound bag, powered by a galloping drumbeat, screaming vocals and a punk-infused guitar line.

Unfortunately, the album also features a lot of tracks like "I Calls 'Em Like I Sees 'Em" and "Small Islands Keep Secrets," in which there are so many stops and starts that it's really hard to figure out what's going on. Drummer Shaun Taunton's parts do little or nothing to ease the listener through tunes like this, making them feel strangely arhythmic. Still, even the most uneven tunes at least had sections that made my ears perk up.

His Name Was Iron's "Chariots For Hire" tries to marry southern metal to skate-friendly harmonies — and often succeeds. That said, a little more effort in the melody and rhythm areas on the band's next release would be greatly appreciated.