“It’s a truism that the best covers must shed some new light on their originals, a mission at which most fail miserably. Not so here, where Alabama bluegrass band Iron Horse’s irony-free (and drum-free) versions of “Unforgiven”, “Nothing Else Matters” and “Enter Sandman” lay bare the sturdy songcraft lurking, often unheard, beneath Metallica’s amped-up sturm and drang.” “That said, “Fade to Bluegrass”…is a match made in hell – and that’s a compliment.”
The Boston Herald
“They’ve capably made bluegrass fade to black, and nothing else matters.”
The Daytona Beach News-Journal
“Alabama bluegrass quartet Iron Horse accomplishes this oddball stylistic leap thanks to its precision fingerpicking and high vocal harmonies as well as Metallica’s melodies – melodies that are revealed to be more timeless than non-metalheads might have thought possible.”
The DesMoines Register
“At first look, you might think it’s a novelty or tongue-in-cheek thing, but when you hear the way the songs are performed, it sounds like they really could have come out of the Appalachians.”
David Heaerle, CMH Records President
“The fan appreciation shows in the reverent treatment of the metal band’s dark, existential stories, which fits nicely with much of the bluegrass tradition’s fatalism. As bluegrass, it’s pretty good stuff.”
The Denver Post
“This recording treats the listener to a high octane journey through classic Metallica songs.”
Bluegrass Americana
“…I grew to appreciate not only the musicianship of Iron Horse, but their sheer accuracy in capturing the Metallica tunes. It’s evident that they learned to play the songs in the original metal style, because as a musician myself, I know it’s difficult to play a cover song in a wholly different genre unless one can play the song in its original form. One must learn the rules before one can bend them without breaking them.”
RG Reviews