Artist: IRON
Title: Desperate Fight
Release: LP / Digital
Year: 2014
Label: Assault Records, Monument, Judas Cradle, The Underground Faction, Mosh Potatoes
Here it is!
The vehemently proactive XVX kids from Malmö strike back with their long awaited (at least for me) debut full-length following their exceedingly vigorous “Sex Positive Hardcore” EP.
But I guess as much as being drug free to the bones you also have to overdose on passion, desperate love for hardcore punk music and dedication to unbreakable ideals if you dare to make a record called Desperate Fight in 2014. It seems to me this is not just a homage to the legendary 90’s Umeå scene the folks from IRON have grown-up listening to (Abhinanda, Final Exit, DS-13, Refused, Saidiwas, etc.), because they also manage to blend into it everything nice that came out from Sweden in the very recent years with great bands like Anchor, Stay Hungry and Hårda Tider. It’s fast, raw and angry, but yet melodic and upbeat hardcore punk that starts where their EP left off, with a song about gender-queer folks taking back the scene and fighting together against homophobic, transphobic and misogynist prejudices, the cool surprise are the songs about science and astrophysics that will please every god free vegan straightedge kid/loser/nerd worshiping Carl Sagan, and of course IRON make sure to point out that animal abuse is completely wrong and you must dare to face the facts of the slaughterhouse!
Unsurprisingly the record filling the gap between the different generations of Swedish hardcore kids finishes with a cover, but rather than a Refused cover it’s 80’s American hardcore classic “New Aryans”, originally by Reagan Youth. I could easily explain their choice with the intention to play a well known anti-nazi punk anthem in response to the resurgence of right-wing extremism in Europe and the recent events in their hometown Malmö where a fellow queer and anti-racist activist was stabbed by Nazi thugs after a feminist demo.
The fun is definitely guaranteed whether you like fast and political punk or moshing to heavy breakdowns as long as you enjoy to sing-along the lines of “Trans* in the front, queers at the back, this is your scene. Attack! Attack!” or from my own experience simply nod your head and repeat “Go vegan!” while listening to IRON as you prepare your sweet fruit smoothie for breakfast. Bring back the VSXE pride and get this cool record from Assault Records (Germany), Mosh Potatoes (Belgium) or Judas Cradle, Monument HQ and The Underground Faction if you’re in Sweden!