Photo by Erica Lauren
Asserting their rank as one of the premiere festivals in the space, organizers for Sound and Fury are gearing up for what is expected to be one of the biggest, most beloved hardcore-specific events with international implications. With headlining sets from the likes of Knocked Loose and basement, plus standout sets from the likes of vets like Poison the Well, Trash Talk, Mindforce, God's Hate and even wild cards like Project Pat and Cloakroom - Sound and Fury is the well-rounded celebration of the genre, the culture and it's ever-expanding orbit.
In recent years, each summer session has given us a handful of live sets that have not only become highlights from the festival, but have also helped to catapult bands to a much greater awareness - even outside those in the hardcore know. Considering SPEED's 2022 US debut, DARE's 2018 viral moment and even the now defunct SEEYOUSPACECOWBOY set from just last year, Sound and Fury always closes with a crop of bands that prove exceptional.
Forecasting the weekend at Exposition Park in Los Angeles, we have decided to get ahead of the mayhem to narrow down a shortlist of artists that should get special consideration. These bands all have the kind of momentum that suggests the stage at Sound and Fury will provide the kind of motivation to go especially hard during their set time.
Here's a look at our picks.
BIG ASS TRUCK I.E.
Blue-collar beatdown from the gritty, sweltering streets of San Berdoo, there is a level of belligerence that Big Ass Truck achieves that prompts people to revel in violence. The motive in the music is to be as ignorant and inflammatory as possible and with anthems like "BIG ASS BEER," "BEEF" and the destruction in the band's eponymous "BIG ASS TRUCK" expect major fireworks from the floor.
PEST CONTROL
An important example of the international reach of Sound and Fury, Pest Control has emerged as one of the UK's most exciting, explosive units. Combining thrash heavy crossover with hardcore delivery and embedded DNA, the Leeds exports will add an element of shred to Sound and Fury that will ensure stage dives and circle pits exist in perfect, chaotic harmony.
PAIN OF TRUTH
There is a reason Pain of Truth is among the last bands of night one. The Long Island hardcore champs have positioned themselves as one of the most exciting bands in the space, earning big tours and putting on for time-tested hardcore in way that shows love to the greats while making their own way. Their Coast II Coast split with Sunami earlier this year only added to the momentum of their 2023 LP, Not Through Blood that continues to kick open doors for the band. Making a strong case for a possible MVP showing, all eyes should be on Pain of Truth this weekend.
WHISPERS
The purveyors of "Bangkok Evilcore," the Thai hardcore unit delivered their Flatspot Records debut last year, Yom-Ma-Lok, and have since been on the greater radar of gloabl hardcore. Mighty guitars, a beatdown percussive cadence and the vocal hostility of Nitisart “Mike” Chaiburi make for a potent combination that make Whispers among the most buzzworthy bands on the bill. With cosigns from the likes of SPEED, Demonstration of Power and more, Sound and Fury 2025 could be a big moment for Thai hardcore.
GLARE
Delivering one of the best records of the year thus far in Sunset Funeral, the Texas shoegaze specialists showcase a weighty, well-built take on mood music - complete with sturdy guitars and lush melodies. In a day filled with breakdowns, spin kicks and a sea of bodies pressed against the barricade-less stage, GLARE's 5:40 set time could be that perfect respite from the chaos - a sonic reset as the sky gets hazy and the day turns to night.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Kreulty combines punk, hardcore, grind and death metal that resonates with all walks of heavy music fan. They are a band the Knotfest team have championed and we are excited to see them so highly billed on the mainstage.
Trash Talk in LA... not to be missed mayhem.
Poison the Well have new music on the way and are just coming off an epic 20th anniversary tour of The Opposite of December... A Season of Separation. The band's stock is as strong as it's ever been. When "Nerdy" hits, Exposition Park is gonna go off.
The fact that Sound and Fury can hurl curveballs like a Project Pat set into a hardcore show is as bold as it is brilliant. And it speaks to organizers genunine knowledge of their audience. Memphis is coming through and "Chickenhead" is gonna bump.
DIY noise punk from New York, L.O.T.I.O.N. source elements of EBM and industrial, making for digital hardcore. In a set that can range from frenetic D-beat to a danceable electronic throb, the stylistic shift on the day should make for an interesting change and a potential standout set.
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Sound and Fury 2025 takes place at Exposition Park July 12th and 13th. Set times can be found below. Get tickets - HERE
