photo by Bobby Kirwin
Creator-Destructor Records welcomes Oakland, California-based brutal death metal outfit IRON FRONT to the label for the January release of their violent second LP, Hooked.
Originally formed in 2016, then named Dire Wolves, the band reformatted to IRON FRONT in 2019 and is currently embodied by drummer Max Mahmood, guitarist/vocalist Cruz Garcia, guitarist Jesse Dicruttalo, bassist Dmitri Castillo Russel, and vocalist Topey Plourde. Taking inspiration from old-school death metal and NYHC, the output of IRON FRONT is a hardcore-adjacent, slam-induced alloy of pure savagery, calling to mind 200 Stab Wounds, Snuffed On Sight, Skinless, Bodybox, Internal Bleeding, and Suffocation.
IRON FRONT has independently released a handful of demos, singles, and one full-length, as well as an EP on Transylvanian Recordings. Their debut album Left Out To Rot garnered praise from Metal Forces Magazine for its “amazing mix” and “staggering intensity” and made it onto Toilet Ov Hell’s top 10 of 2022 lists. They have received airplay on independent radio stations including Possessed vocalist Jeff Becerra’s Gimme Metal show and were interviewed on Rampage Radio. IRON FRONT has performed live all over the greater Bay Area and has toured across the Western US.
Now, IRON FRONT arrives with their most decimating material to date with their second album, Hooked, the succinct but dense record savagely unloads seven earthmoving tracks stacked with infectious riff-hooks and earthmoving beatdowns. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Nicholas Morosini at Inpatient Studios in Oakland, Hooked was completed with cover art by Julian Felipe Mora Ibañez.
Vocalist Topey Plourde states, “This album is a big step up for us. We’ve come a long way from when we started this band as kids, and I feel Hooked reflects how much we’ve developed as songwriters. This new album has a greater emphasis on heavy riffs that can really get a crowd moving. It’s a quick but concise album, with slams, blastbeats, and a few features from our peers. We’re very excited to release this album and show what our new generation of musicians can do.”
Stream IRON FRONT’s “Dissolved In Resin” now at Bandcamp HERE and Spotify HERE.
Hooked will be released on LP and digital platforms on January 12th. Digital preorders can be placed at Bandcamp HERE. Watch for physical preorders to post alongside a new single in the days ahead.
Hooked Track Listing:
1. Dissolved In Resin
2. Slug Rounds
3. Burned By A Crack Pipe (ft. Bodybox)
4. Pig Splitter (ft. Manos De Fierro)
5. Hooked
6. Intestinal Siphon
7. The Slam of ‘87 (ft. Death Pickle)
IRON FRONT will support Hooked with regional live actions and tour dates in 2024, leading with a release show for the album in San Francisco on January 13th. Watch for additional dates to post shortly.
IRON FRONT Live:
1/13/2024 The Bottom Of The Hill – San Francisco, CA *Hooked release show
IRON FRONT:
Topey Plourde – Vocals
Cruz Garcia – Guitar, Vocals
Dmitri Castillo Russel – Bass
Jesse Dicruttalo – Guitar
Max Mahmood – Drums
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