iLL RAiSED, from Queens, NY, delivers a sonic punch that does not let up. The band is proud of its Latino heritage and still uses its original name, MALCRiADOS, interchangeably with iLL RAiSED. This dual identity reflects their musical approach, which is difficult to pin down to one genre. The band’s sound is a deliberate and intense blend, pulling from diverse styles including Hardcore, Crossover, Punk, Hip-Hop, Death, and even Salsa, which has led them to humorously coin the genre "Ghetto Punk."

iLL RAiSED credits the New York Hardcore (NYHC) scene for its welcoming nature, which allows the band to create hard-hitting music without being confined to a single subgenre box. Ultimately, the band believes that diversity is essential to the hardcore scene, enabling continuous growth and reflecting the vibrant cultural mix from which they emerged.

Violent By Nature (VBN) is a thrash metal band from the underbelly of Los Angeles. VBN blends elements of old school speed thrash metal and hardcore aggressive punk styles; making them known for their blistering tempos, aggressive vocals, and high speed technical guitar riffs and solos. 

VBN consists of founding member and frontman Thor Thatcher on lead vocals and lead guitar, Dylan Segatore on bass and backing vocals, Jose Garcia on drums, and newest member David Salcedo on guitar and backing vocals.

Music written by lead guitarist and vocalist Thor Thatcher, VBN is hitting the road supporting their debut album “Live and Die in LA,” captivating audiences with their energetic stage presence and powerful high speed musicianship, they are a true representation of LA metal. 

The Queens band MANiK is on the rise, and nobody embodies the spirit of pure rock and roll more than MANiK frontman, lead singer and guitarist Danny Sanchez. As the newest member of the band, he has integrated fully into the band’s dynamic and provided the missing piece to put this band over the top. When not tearing up the stage with MANiK, Sanchez is studying audio engineering, showing his dedication to music.

We are big fans and were glad to have the opportunity to sit down for an interview.

Meghan Taylor isn’t just a vocalist, she is a force of nature. And if you’ve ever seen GIFTSHOP live, you’ll know what we mean.

While the band calls Astoria, Queens home, Meghan herself is a transplant from Upstate New York, where she honed her chops in several Rochester bands. With GIFTSHOP, she is playing has the unique challenge of playing with bandmates - Damian Eckstein, Matt Santoro and Jordan Kramer - with some serious technical skills, and in both recordings and shows she is able to match them with the powerful intensity that she brings.

We had a chance to catch up with her to discuss performing, her background, and how to turn a torrential rainstorm into a blast for everyone.

The NYC band Crazy Eddie is a hardcore punk group known for its raw, fast, and loud "to the point" sound, aiming to evoke the simple, fun spirit of old-school hardcore. The band is a notable part of the New York Hardcore (NYHC) scene, featuring members who have played in other established NYHC groups, including Fahrenheit 451, District 9, Abject, and Downlow. Their formation brought together seasoned veterans of the scene, contributing to their no-frills, aggressive style. Their track titles often reflect the genre's typical themes with a tongue-in-cheek sensibility, such as "The Prices Are Insane" and "Go Home You're Drunk."

For the Nashville-based band Mourning Joy, it's been a long road. Initially conceived of as a name in high school by singer/guitarist Trent Tidwell, fifteen years later it has finally become a reality. Mourning Joy is heavily influenced by Alkaline Trio, Rancid, Lawrence Arms, Banner Pilot and The Misfits, as well as by Tidwell's own admiration for the native Nashville music scene. The band is currently working on an EP with plans of touring in 2026.

We had the opportunity to sit down with Trent to discuss a wide variety of topics, including where he gets his inspiration, the prospect of getting older, and how he channels some of the despair that we all feel in everyday life into his music.

Still Deciding is an energetic punk trio rooted in the Los Angeles scene, formed by longtime friends Stellan (guitar/vocals) and David (bass), and later joined by drummer Jude. Stellan and David first connected in kindergarten, and the seeds of the band were sown after they met a third musician at summer camp in 2023. Their connection to the LA music community runs deep; their early jamming took place in a studio owned by a friend, Glenn, where they would eventually record their debut EP, We Survived for This. The members have a clear dedication to their craft, with Stellan, in particular, having been playing guitar since he was eighteen months old.

The band's music is influenced by their Los Angeles environment, with recent songs like "Smoke" directly addressing local issues such as the raging wildfires and another track focused on the ICE raids. Frontman Stellan noted that the city's significant wealth inequality also shapes his perspective and lyrics. While they cite classic punk bands and LA favorites like Strawberry Fuzz and The Frights as inspiration, the trio defines "punk" less as a specific sound and more as an attitude of freedom of expression and love.

RBNX, a hard-hitting three-piece from Poughkeepsie, is a ska-punk band known for its high-energy, sweat-drenched live shows featuring circle pits, skanking, and screaming. The band's unique sound fuses unabashed hardcore, simple guitar riffs, and "faster-than-light drumming" with ska elements, a balance they achieve simply by playing what they enjoy, blending heavy and fun musical ideas. Their sonic roots are influenced by a wide array of 90s acts, including Bad Brains, Agnostic Front, Catch 22, and Sublime.

The band recently released a new album, Nothing Here Is Yours, a title inspired by a saying from one member's stepfather, which RBNX has expanded into a wider commentary on human existence, society, and personal belongings. Though they have previously partnered with Patient Zero Records, the band currently puts out its releases independently and is committed to offering physical copies—CD, cassette, and vinyl—alongside streaming, as the members themselves are enthusiasts of tangible music formats. Their recent output includes a song like "Jah Is Dead," a pre-band track written about the struggles of addiction and serving as a bystander or helping hand to an addict. While their most recent release is a live split with Negative Raxxx, which they’re particularly excited to press on vinyl, they continue to look forward, with touring plans set for the winter, promising high-energy performances that reinforce their core message: a call for unity, community, and taking care of one another.

The band 2-Dayz started as high school sophomores in a class in Las Vegas’ Liberty High School called Electric Mayhem. They continued to play together after they graduated, creating music and starting to play live shows in local scene in Las Vegas. In February of 2025 they recorded and released their debut EP called “The Mongoose”, recorded and produced at GoodGirlfriend Records in Vegas. Their single "Tidal Wave” has been played several times on local X Pauly Kover show on 107.5 and recently another track called "Brainworm" was played as well on a radio show. They were featured on September 26th on The Morning Blend on ABC-13 and played at The Whiskey in LA on September 5 while in Los Angeles filming a music video. The band has a fall tour scheduled now in Las Vegas and in January will return to The Whiskey and then tour San Diego.

If there is any artist that has blown us away - music, lyrics, attitude, and just plain bad-assery - it has to be Liv from We Might Die.

As the bassist and vocalist for the Las Vegas band We Might Die, Liv is a ferocious presence. Her youth doesn't hinder her musical prowess; she delivers a mature and powerful point of view in her performances. Her heartfelt and angry lyrics, along with her spunky and angsty musical contributions, are a key part of We Might Die's overall approach to self-expression. She grew up immersed in a world of art and music, and her natural talent shines through, making her an essential part of the band's dynamic.

As far as we’re concerned, we might die, but Liv will still be awesome.

We caught up with her to discuss life, music, and the power to set people’s shoes on fire with her eyes.

We had a hard time writing the introduction to this interview - there is just so much we love about this band. The music. The lyrics. The songwriting. The attitude. The dynamic. The willingness to take chances. Say what you like about We Might Die - it’s a free country (kinda, at least as of this writing), but the best way we can describe them is very simple:

This band is cool as hell.

Las Vegas’ We Might Die is known for their high-energy performances and a sound that blends hardcore, punk, and alternative rock. The band includes Chance on drums, Travis on guitar, and Liv on bass and vocals. The band's members come from diverse backgrounds, with Chance having a long history in the New Mexican and Texas hardcore scenes and Travis bringing an East Coast flair. Their sound is characterized by angsty, blues-infused vocals, hard-hitting drums, and epic guitar shredding, all complementing heartfelt and angry lyrics that explore themes of anxiety and tough situations.

The title of the interview? We were asked to include some emojis. We were kind of like “ehh, not all that easy to stick emojis in a web page …” Then we went back and watched footage of Liv tearing up the stage.

We quickly included the emojis.

In 2005, Metal Sludge published an interview with Ethan Collins, the supremely talented guitarist for the New York band White Trash, a collection of friends from Queens that just happened to have talent up the ass, and were signed to Elektra Records in the late 80’s. Today, 20 years later, we are proud to have the opportunity to conduct the first interview with Luke Collins, Ethan’s son. While Luke’s style is different - he grew up with different influences, and there will of course never be another Ethan Collins - he’s no slouch on the six string, and we feel he’s got a very bright future. He shares the same dedication and sense of innovation as his late father, only with his own distinctive style.

We caught up with him to hear what he’s got to say.

This. Band. Rips.

We caught MANiK at a show earlier this month at The Wild Goose in Queens, and they just tore the roof off the place. This is one high energy band, but beyond that, these guys have some serious chops. They're also the nicest guys in the world, as and you'll see in this interview, they have fun doing what they're doing.

Hailing from Queens, this band is more than just a bunch of guys, they're family. And they have a strong connection to the Queens music scene - we caught them opening for one of our favorite bands, CHAKA. And, they played Queens Rockfest 2025, four years after our favorite band, White Trash, played the 2021 edition. So, if there's any doubt that Queens is the music capital of the world, we think MANiK is just the band to put the borough over the top.

We hope you enjoy reading this interview and much as we enjoyed doing it.

Skanimals is a Norwegian ska-punk band that formed after one of its members was inspired by seeing The Interrupters perform live. “Unleash The Skanimals”, blends ska with Norwegian influences, notably in the track "To Valhalla," which incorporates a Viking horn to create a Norse atmosphere. The band's music is also inspired by a variety of genres and bands, including pop-punk acts like Bowling For Soup and The Offspring, as well as bands like Panic! at the Disco, System of a Down, and P.O.D..

The band's songwriting process is a collaborative effort, although it can vary from a band member bringing in a complete idea to writing on the fly in the studio. When it comes to their sound, the band is always looking for new elements, and they have used throat-singing in an interlude and a mouth-harp in their song "Madness". Live shows are a high-energy experience, with the band's motto being "Move your feet, and dance with us". Their live shows are characterized by "groovy rhythms and high energy music," as well as solos and surprise trumpet parts.

No Call No Show is a punk band hailing from Staten Island. Each song stretches the boundaries of the punk by incorporating heavy metal beatdowns and screamo style vocals. Mike Nice is the founder/guitarist/singer of the band, which was formed in 2018. Josh Salant is the drummer and recording engineer of the band since 2020. The newest addition is Paul Terzano on bass as of 2024.

Their latest record entitled “release the grease“ came out on Aug 6, 2025 with the new single "lizard Tung" preceding that in July 2025. Their previous releases Punk AF (2021), Too Punk 2 Fuck (2023) and The Villain (2024). Their record release party was Aug 30 at Bar Freda. The band usually plays tri-state punk/hardcore/metal scene.

Spike Polite and SewAge is never going to be invited to play the Super Bowl Halftime Show. But if they ever did, some shit would seriously get shaken up. A few corporate sponsors might not be too happy.

This is a band that doesn’t just sing about the things they believe in - they live it. They don’t just talk about what’s wrong with society right now - they are doing something about it. This isn’t a band that is saying “fuck the system”, they’re saying “this isn’t right. What are we going to do about it?” From human rights to mutual aid to housing equity to police brutality, Spike Polite and SewAge is stepping up and saying “we’re not rolling over for you, whoever you are”. This is a band that throws a lot of words at you, but the word “compromise” is not in their vocabulary.

Featuring underground veterans Spike Polite on lead guitar and vocals, Anthony Romano on drums and guitar, Michelle Shocked and Heide Miklitz on bass, and Johnny Arkansas on drums, the band has carved out a niche in the NYC underground punk scene that is hard to ignore. We caught up with the band to get some of our many questions answered.

Best Bones is a band from Queens, New York blending alternative rock, indie, and punk into a distinctive sound defined by unforgettable hooks, soaring anthems, and electrifying rhythms. The band consists of Abeer Khalique, Brendon Conroy, Brendan Leitch, and Greg Calisi—four musicians who joined forces in 2023.

Their debut release showcases the band’s versatility, weaving seamlessly between indie rock’s introspection, punk’s raw energy, and alternative rock’s expansive soundscapes. Lyrically, Best Bones takes listeners on a journey through the spectrum of human emotion—joy, hope, longing, and loss—delivering anthems that feel both personal and universal. With their magnetic chemistry and a sound that resonates deeply, Best Bones is carving out their place in the independent rock scene — one powerful performance at a time.

Hailing from New York City, Dr. Ex and The Break-Ups are self-described freakbeat garage punk that gets the soirée swinging - imagine "? & The Mysterians" after an all night drug orgy with The Kinks.

We believe that description speaks for itself, so let's get to it!

Unapologetically loud, ferociously raw, and fueled by the chaos of everyday life - The Car Bomb Parade isn’t just a band, it’s a riot wrapped in distortion and ferality. Hailing from New York City, they don’t care about fitting into a box; they’re here to push the boundaries of what that box looks like.

With roots in punk, hardcore, and a dose of the most chaotic rock ‘n roll, The Car Bomb Parade blends breakneck riffs, pounding drums, and venom-laced vocals into a live show that feels like a fuse lit at both ends. It’s not about perfection; it’s about the release, the middle finger in the air, and the communities that come together to bear witness.

They’ve shared bills with The Casualties, 7 Seconds, Scowl, The Bronx, Fear, The Vandals, The Cro-Mags, DOA, Leeway NYC, DRI, The Suicide Machines, Who Killed Spikey Jacket, and Less Than Jake; melted faces at every dive, festival, and DIY venue within reach; and best (or worst) of all they’re just getting started. Whether you’re in the pit or screaming along from the sidelines, one thing’s for sure: when The Car Bomb Parade shows up, it’s not just another show ... it’s a detonation.

To call Jon "Soda" James multifaced would be an understatement. He's one of the most interesting guys you'll ever, ever meet. He's a legit humanist and caring person. And he's fiercely dedicated to his principles, artistic and personal. He unapologetically lives life on his terms. His band, Coventry Carols, not surprisingly hews to the same principles, and you'll quickly see that in this interview. This guy is real. We caught up with him for an interview, and we hope you check it out.

But rather than our introduction, let's hear from Soda himself.

Hi everyone! I'm Jon Soda James or just, Soda. I'm a longtime musician, writer, artist ... masochist, whatever. I do not care or wish to sell myself in any particular way any longer. Make of it what you will. I wear glasses, my closet is a sea of black tee shirts I still have a wallet chain and as much as I want to hide under a rock I want to show you everything at the same time. "It is what it is" couldn't be more accurate. And my band, Coventry Carols, I love it and I love spending time with those guys and just being honest and creating songs that we can all sing together if you choose to join us.