Ironhead

Ironhead was born of tragedy. The band formed in 2003, less than two years after Johnny Sonic’s father died in a motorcycle accident, and the name is not only a tribute to the guitarist’s dad but to his death. This metal trio plays a high-intensity form of rock that evokes beat-up Trans Ams and Ted Nugent concert T-shirts. These guys are no mere cock rockers, though — it goes way beyond that. The band’s first full-length, Livin’ Like We Wanna Die, released in March, finds lead man Sonic screaming about suicide and knife fights in biker bars. The cover shows bassist Angela Foxx slashing her wrists as she hovers over a healthy serving of cocaine. With titles such as “Broken Heart, Broken Bones” and “Out Drinkin’ Again,” the songs on Livin’ live up to the cover — and Ironhead lives up to its name.