The BARBARIANS OF CALIFORNIA

Megatons

Many Hats Endeavours US

Following 2024's thoroughly entertaining debut full-length And Now I'm Just Gnashing My Teeth, Los Angeles outlier hardcore outfit The Barbarians of California return with their highly anticipated and crushingly groovy sophomore effort Megatons. Formed as a meeting of mutual minds between renowned producer Eric Stenman (Deftones, Thrice, Saves The Day) and AWOLNATION frontman/primary songwriter Aaron Bruno, the pair's shared adoration for hardcore, metal as well as growing up in the LA skate scene have all been blended into one fierce yet irreverent cacophony. Eschewing much of the synthy indie-pop of his primary project, here Bruno swaps out his traditionally chilled demeanor to feed the beast bubbling deep within; delivering a manic, throat-shredded aggression, figurately and literally screaming "I brought a bomb to a knife fight!" on the standout track of the same name. Packed to the brim with metallic grooves and curb-stomping breakdowns, while notably making room for more technical guitarwork and odd time signature placement, echoing the likes of The Dillinger Escape Plan or Converge, this is the type of tongue-in-cheek hardcore irreverence popularised by Every Time I Die, with the band even dropping the stand-alone single 'PSEUDO INTELLECTUALS ARE HATING ON MY BAND!!!' featuring Keith Buckley on guest vocals last year. Consider it somewhat of a passing of the unhinged, humorous hardcore torch, as the band tear through a barrage of throwdown skull-crushers painted with a sardonic whimsy evident across the tracklist with in-joke titles such as 'The Gnarlycore Class', 'Really Really Rad', and 'This Is Shredical' while the apocalyptic banger 'Earthquake' seeks to bring about a much needed end of days.