Iron Hand

Here’s some D-beaten hardcore out of New Haven, Connecticut. Seven songs that average two and a half minutes, which is the goddamn perfect length for this type of thing. Much like fellow CT statesmen Oiltanker, Iron Hand dives deep into the Scandinavian and Portland “epic crust” end of the pool; at least in their instrumentation. The vocals lend it a bit of a tough-guy-metal-core vibe, but not in a way that conjures up images of varsity logos, sXe calf tattoos, and Nike Cortez’s. (Nike Cortez’s are dope though.) Fairly clean production value throughout, which is something I’m not normally fond of when it comes to hardcore punk, but it doesn't seem to be a disservice to the overall conveyance of nastiness and anger on this record. It just means you might have to turn it up a stitch louder to get to that sweet spot, and that shouldn't be a problem for anyone that’s into this punk shit. Stylistically they do hop around a bit, which keeps any would-be monotony at bay. On songs like “Self-Sacrifice” and “Incantation” there’s some fun thrash changeups and brief guitar solos, while “Writhing Hatred” goes a few steps down the path of doom. I’ve had the MP3s of this on my iPod (not punk) since February and it’s made for some really spirited bike rides (very punk) around the city. Track down the vinyl if you can. It’s limited to 300 copies though, so good luck with that nerds. Although it would be filed under a different subgenre, Injected Fear falls right in line with Acid Fast's Rabid Moon, Brain F ≠’s Empty Set, and The Estranged’s self-titled as one of the best punk LPs of 2014.

8.0 / 10 — Nathan G. O'Brien