KARION: 'Iron Shadows' CD/DVD Featuring S.A.SLAYER, RIOT, HELSTAR Members Available

May 24, 2012

San Antonio, Texas classic metal outfit KARION has issued its long-in-the-works CD/DVD retrospective, "Iron Shadows", via the band's own Cameo Fontana imprint. The package includes the group's remastered demos, recorded at Sound Cube Studios in Converse, Texas with engineer Ron Thomas during the band's three-year tenure in the mid-'80s, as well as archival video footage from a show at the legendary Villa Fontana, site of the infamous S.A. SLAYER vs. L.A. SLAYER show in 1984.

"It has taken a lot longer than anticipated to get this release out to the fans but I'm glad it's finally available", states mainman/guitarist Art Villareal. "I regret that we never got to do an album with KARION back when but 'Iron Shadows' is the next best thing and should touch a nerve with old school metalheads, particuarly those that followed the Texas scene and all the great bands that were part of that unique place and time. There is even talk of us getting KARION back together later this year for some local shows, which would be awesome, and maybe head overseas in 2013. Nothing is out of the question at this point."

Contemporaries of such Texas legends as WATCHTOWER, S.A. SLAYER, PANTERA, HELSTAR, and JUGGERNAUT, KARION was formed in the summer of 1983 by guitarist Art Villareal upon his exit from local heroes SLAYER with whom he recorded the classic "Prepare To Die" EP for the Rainforest label. Villareal quickly recruited original SLAYER vocalist Chris Cronk, bassist Pete Perez, and drummer Frank Ferreira. The new band soon garnered a sizeable following gigging around San Antonio and Austin while sharing the stage with the likes of WATCHTOWER, SLAYER, WYZARD, and MILITIA at legendary venues such as the Villa Fontana, Cameo Theater, and The Ritz before calling it a day in 1986.

In the wake of KARION's demise, Cronk would briefly be associated with Colorado's JAG PANZER and later fronted TALISPHERE; Ferreira joined HELSTAR in time for the "A Distant Thunder" album; Villareal collaborated with RIOT rhythm section, Don Van Stavern (S.A. SLAYER, PITBULL DAYCARE, EVIL UNITED) and Bobby Jarzombek (FATES WARNING, SEBASTIAN BACH, HALFORD, RIOT),in JACK RUBY, while Perez would eventually replace Van Stavern in RIOT in 1990 and went on to record with both SPASTIC INK and LEATHERWOLF.

"Iron Shadows" track listing:

Disc 1 - CD:

01. Iron Shadows
02. Against All Flags
03. Panzer
04. We Are The Law
05. The Cat, The Edge And The Nail
06. There For None To See

Disc 2 - DVD:

01. The Cat The Edge And The Nail
02. Silent Fury
03. Against All Flags
04. Iron Shadows
05. We Are The Law
06. There For None To See
07. Blitzkrieg
08. Panzer
09. Prey Of The Game

"Iron Shadows" was digitally re-mastered by Villareal's former BLITZKRIEG and S.A. SLAYER bandmate, guitarist Bob Catlin (JUGGERNAUT, PIGFACE, PSEUDO BUDDHA).

"Panzer" and "Against All Flags" are currently streaming using the ReverbNation widget below.

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