Decibrity Playlist: Iron Reagan

Sure, it’s been a year since Iron Reagan dropped its debut full-length. Despite the various other commitments of its members, the band recently began a run of tour dates that will take them through April, all while wrapping up work on their sophomore LP (which, by the way, will be for Relapse). Given how much we liked Worse Than Dead (it made our top 40 of 2013) and how stoked we are about that last sentence, we asked frontman Tony Foresta about some records he digs. His picks are as eclectic as they are entertaining.
Pick up a copy of Worse Than Dead here and check out IR’s tour dates below.

Quicksand–Slip (1993)
One of my top five favorite albums. Whenever I have to do a long shift and don’t want to fuck with my iPod, I just let this one roll. It’s funny, I used to do the same thing with this record mowing my parents lawn in high school. Only instead of an iPod, I had a Walkman cassette player and my Slip cassette. I remember having to stop the lawnmower to flip my tape mid-mow (laughs)!

Pusrad–31 Premature Ejaculations Tape December 2012 (2012)
Kevin Sharp got me into these guys. Super fast blasts of short and fun hardcore. I mean really, really fast. Not something you want to listen to while in a stressful situation like driving in New Jersey or something, it might just make your brain explode. Regardless, this always puts me in a good mood when I listen to it.

Black Flag–Who’s Got The 10½? (1986)
This is in a three-way tie with Decendents’ Hallraker and Iron Maiden’s Live After Death as my all-time favorite live record. This one goes on the list because it was cranked in the van a shitload during the recent Iron Reagan/Power Trip/Mammoth Grinder tour and on this album they play a ton of stuff off Loose Nut, which is my top Flag record at the moment. My fav Flag records change from time to time.

Longmont Potion Castle–Best of Longmont Potion Castle: Volume 1 (1996)
I’ve established so many long term relationships with people just by one of us muttering one of the million hilarious quotes from these prank calls. Just one weird comment usually follows with “Wait, you listen to Longmont?!?” and then we are friends forever. It’s really happened. You are either the type of person that really loves this stuff or you hate it. If you hate it then I probably don’t want to hang out with you.

Tegan and Sara’s “Closer” (from 2013’s Heartthrob)
Everybody was jocking that Robin Thicke “Blurred Lines” shit as the dance jam of the summer last year–although that’s a hell of a catchy song, the lyrics are a little to “date rapey” for my tastes–all the while this Tegan and Sara song was killing it then and is still chugging away at parties now while theres a foot of snow outside.

Sockeye–Barf On A Globe (1999)
The best/worst band on the planet. I go through phases where I wont listen to them for a couple years and then “Buttfuck Your Own Face” will pop in my head and then I’m screwed for at least three months.

Mercyful Fate–Melissa (1983)
Album rules. But you dummies already know this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGQFdv6ayHY

Spazz/Romantic Gorrilla–Split 12″ (1996)
This record was my first introduction to power violence back in the day. Spazz from then on have been one of my favorite bands of all time. But unfortunately for them the standout track on this release would have to be on Japan’s Romantic Gorilla’s side. The song “I’m On Diet” has just as much anger and angst as any Youth of Today track out there, and who can blame these ladies really? Diets fucking suck.

Out Cold–Two Broken Hearts Are Better Than One (2000)
Out Cold is one of the most underrated hardcore bands of all time in my opinion. They were cranking out killer release after release for what seemed like forever on a yearly basis before the singer/guitar player’s untimely demise. My favorite track on this record is “Skinned Alive”, not because it’s the best song they wrote, but because it’s the slowest jam on the record and sticks out as a heavy track in some weird way.

Dystopia–Human = Garbage (1994)
This record changed my life and really gave me a different view of the world both socially and musically. I’ve been going back to this one a lot lately and it still has parts on it that give me chills.

Asylum–Demo (2013)
Awesome new d-beat band from Richmond. They’re great live too. It’s still mind blowing how much killer music comes out of this town on a yearly basis. Looking forward to more stuff to come out from them soon.

*Pick up a copy of Worse Than Dead here.

**Iron Reagan tour dates:

3/29/2014 Philadelphia PA @The Underground Arts

Iron Reagan and Occultist
4/2/2014 Richmond VA @Strange Matter
4/4/2014 Harrisonburg, VA @ MACROCK
4/5/2014 Nashville, TN @ TBA
4/6/2014 Little Rock, AK @ Vino’s

Weapons of Thrash Destruction Tour
Ghoul, Iron Reagan, Occultist
4/9/2014 Tempe, AZ @ Club Red
4/10/2014 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
4/11/2014 Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
4/12/2014 Camarillo, CA @ Rock City Studios
4/13/2014 Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy
4/14/2014 Sacramento, CA @ Midtown Barfly
4/15/2014 Portland, OR @ Branx
4/18/2014 Oakland, CA @ BRAINSQUEEZE

Iron Reagan and Occultist
4/22/2014 Salt Lake City TBA
4/23/2014 Denver CO @ Moe’s
4/24/2014 Lawrence KS @ TBA
4/25/2014 St. Louis MO @ Fubar
4/26/2014 Munster In @Three Floyd’s Brewery
4/27/2014 Chicago IL @ Cobra Lounge
4/28/2014 Toledo @ Frankie’s
4/29/2014 Columbus @ Ace Of Cups
4/30/2014 Pittsburgh @ Smiling Moose

***Past Decibrity entries include:

Fight Amp
Cynic
Melt-Banana
Junius (Part 1) (Part 2)
Alcest
East Of The Wall
Enabler
Wolvserpent
Drugs Of Faith
SubRosa (Part 1) (Part 2)
Vattnet Viskar
Skeletonwitch
Ihsahn
Earthless
Watain
Orange Goblin
God Is An Astronaut
Primitive Man
Gorguts
Exhumed
Ulcerate
Pelican
Scale The Summit
Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity) (Part 1) (Part 2)
Mouth Of The Architect
Howl
Kings Destroy
Zozobra
Call of the Void
Saint Vitus Bar
Coliseum
Woe
Anciients
Soilwork (Dirk Verbeuren) (Björn Strid)
Intronaut
BATILLUS
Inter Arma
Helen Money
Misery Index
Ancient VVisdom
Holy Grail
Rotten Sound
Ancestors (Part 1) (Part 2)
Kowloon Walled City (Part 1) (Part 2)
Aaron Stainthorpe (My Dying Bride) (Part 1) (Part 2)
Early Graves
All That Remains
Bison B.C.
A Life Once Lost
Fight Amp
Witchcraft (Ola Henriksson) (Magnus Pelander)
Vision of Disorder
Grave
Anders Nyström (Katatonia) (Part 1) (Part 2)
“Best of” Rush (Part 1) (Part 2)
Dawnbringer
Ufomammut
Shadows Fall
Horseback
Greg Mackintosh (Paradise Lost) (Part 1) (Part 2)
Torche
“Best of” Meshuggah
Astra
Pallbearer
Barren Earth
Shane Embury (Napalm Death) (Part 1) (Part 2)