Iron Cross continue their reformation period with this split 7" with English Oi! act Keyside Strike.

Iron Cross provide two of their best newer songs in "Pride and Freedom" and "I Don't Love You Any More," but what gives? These were already on their "split" with Sab Grey and the Royal Americans about two years ago. This is solid, working-class melodic Oi! punk rock modern punk fans can get into, but for current followers it would've been nice to get something new.

Keyside Strike's take on the style isn't far off from Iron Cross -- definitely just a lot grittier. The vocals are more gravelly and musically everything sounds a little meaner and street-level. "Chavageddon" is a refreshing song that seems to carefully document mindless youth violence and condemn it somewhat, while "Old School...Revisited" (which is kinda just a slightly modified take on their older song "Back to the Old School"; oh well) insists old scene values have resonated through the years, throwing in some appropriate Agnostic Front references and a bit of NYHC crunch. Basic and somewhat pedestrian stuff, but pretty solid.

While this serves as a pretty good introduction to Iron Cross, it might not do much for current fans, though Keyside Strike's side seems to provide some form of newness.

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Iron Cross - Pride and Freedom
Iron Cross - I Don't Love You Anymore