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Iron Mind is Sam Octigan (vocals), Neil Bloem (guitar), Akira Asahina (guitar), Josh Barclay (drums), and Dan Collins (bass).
Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, the members of Iron Mind have been torchbearers for hardcore from down under for almost twenty years. The band’s first release came to fruition with 2009’s The Sun Has Set EP, followed by their 2011 debut album Hell Split Wide Open, and signing to Flatspot Records in 2014 for the release of their self-titled LP. Building up a global name for themselves with intense live sets, they toured with bands such as No Warning, Backtrack, and Harm’s Way during that time. Shifting down a gear in terms of a full tour schedule and releasing new music, Iron Mind opted to simply play an annual show in their home scene for a number of years, the band returned in 2023 with Assume Your Ultimate Form. Controlled, collected, and motivated, the band soon entered the studio to record their forthcoming third album, Test Of The Iron Mind.
Aptly titled, the ten tracks on Test Of The Iron Mind nod to Iron Mind’s history while creating through a contemporary lens. Groove-driven riffs, stomping breakdowns, and confidently delivered lyrics make up the bulk of the record. Produced by Otis Bennie (AWOL), recorded by Sam Johnston at The Black Lodge, and mixed by Taylor Young at The Pit, the raw energy found on Iron Mind’s past releases is transformed into a massive, crisp sound that still instills a heavy conveyance. Those familiar with the band’s discography will find callbacks in the new tracks - opener “More Pain” to 2012’s “Look Into My Eye,” eponymous track “Test Of The Iron Mind” recalling 2009’s “The Iron Mind.” These are full circle moments for the band who set out to create their best material yet, and there’s still plenty for newcomers to latch onto.
The winding riffs and hard hitting gang vocals on “How You Get Down” serve as a call to the new generation of hardcore fans, encouraging building community and creativity in the scene. “No Fate” continues into themes of self-empowerment as vocalist Sam Octigan shouts “Take a look at me, never believed, there could be days like these!”
He expands on the track: “This song is both a personal statement and a message to those listening who haven’t been told that they don’t need permission to create the life that they want for themselves, that it’s not just for the in crowd or the select few.”
Lead single and album closer “Solitary Realm’s” primal drums and crushing down-tuned guitars make way for an anthemic expression of perseverance.
Octigan adds, “This is a song about recognizing the tendency towards self isolation and the necessity to move away from it or suffer further consequences, while acknowledging the difficulty in doing so.”
With pragmatic lyrics, a sonic fury, and bridging their past and future, Iron Mind have created their definitive album with Test Of The Iron Mind.
