Originally released in 2000, Iron grew out of Pavlov's teenage fascination with heavy metal and the underground record-exchanging community of the late Soviet era. At fourteen, inspired by Iron Maiden's “Running Free,” he picked up a six-string guitar brought to him by his grandmother and decided that he and his friends could also play that kind of music. Before long, they were rehearsing in a Soviet youth club with whatever equipment was available, looking for the sound they heard in early heavy metal records.

The album preserves traces of those early experiences through its titles and references. “Rubbing Free” nods directly to the song that inspired Pavlov to form his first band, while titles like “For Whom the Dell Falls” and "Love Mites" reference Metallica and Judas Priest. They also reference the atmosphere surrounding Western music in the Soviet Union, when exchanging records often meant running from the police, having records confiscated, and facing disciplinary consequences. It was a time when Pavlov, as a DJ, would make up a list of fake song titles for the principal to sign off on for a dance event at this school.

“It was an exciting time. There was enthusiasm; there was a community living on music. There's a name in the album credits, Vadim ‘Mark’ Kosolapov, he was the person who introduced me to that community back in the day." Rooted in personal memories, Iron however is also a grown-up reflection upon heavy metal, an exploration of the genre as a sonic language. The album distills certain sonic qualities of heavy metal that fascinate Pavlov most, transforming them into an abstract electronic work.