The Iron Roses are one of the most politically outspoken punk bands today. This is cemented with their newest album, Molotov Nights, where they leave no opinion suppressed and every opinion they do have is screamed from their gut.
“Molotov Nights” is an album that shares the same beliefs that punk bands have but don’t want to write, featuring multiple songs that address genocide (Dead Eyes), capitalism (All American), ICE (The Good News), the fetishizing of women (Body Count) and other topics that validate their anger. The powerful vocals of Natasha Grey (she/her) and Becky Fontaine (she/her) reaffirm the sincerity of the lyrics and convey a genuine cry of anger that makes you just as pissed as they are.
When discussing the album on their Bandcamp, they open up with the following: “Ever since November 2024 we’ve heard the same tired bullshit everywhere — ‘At least we’ll get some good music out of this.’ Fuck that. We’d much rather a world filled with equality, food, housing, health care, education, peace, and love”. What makes this an important quote when discussing this album specifically is that it reaffirms that this is not an album that’s really meant to be enjoyed.
While you can enjoy it, and you should, “Molotov Nights” serves primarily as a wake-up call. It is 25 minutes of telling the listener “Hey, this is what’s going on in the world right now”, in the hopes that others will get just as angry and call for a change.
As far as sound goes, while it generally remains a melodic punk rock album, “The Good News” starts off as a folk tune, and “All American” also turns into ska punk. Overall, they focus much more on the message of their lyrics rather than going into a lot of sound experimenting.
I was lucky to catch them live earlier this year and can confirm that their energy on this album matches with their energy on stage. As a trans femme-fronted band, they have a lot to be angry about. If you feel a part of a minority, or just as angry with the world and don’t know why, I would highly recommend that you give “Molotov Nights” a listen.
Favorite songs: “Dead Eyes”; “All American”; “Look Away”
“Molotov Nights” by The Iron Roses is available now on Bandcamp.