The title "Ironwork" alludes both to the genre of heavy metal music and to the art of blacksmithing, an ancient craft associated with the medieval accouterments of heavy metal bands.

The driving unison riff that opens "Ironwork" is actually a left hand finger exercise in the Locrian mode. It takes everyone in the ensemble to make this rocker burn; each section of the ensemble takes its turn playing melodies, riffs, and ostinatos. The use of the Locrian and Phrygian modes in D and G provide students with a "low one" finger pattern workout and there's even some basic bariolage for the second violins and violas.