It has been a fruitful year for the tandem of Aaron Bruno of AWOLNATION and Eric Stenman - the accomplished producer and guitarist of cult-championed Sacto outfit Tinfed. The pair officially launched their joint passion project that allowed the savvy music veterans to share their hardcore pedigree as The Barbarians of California.

Debuting the project with charged entries like "Dopamine Prophecy" and the emphatic rallying cry of "Where Are the Punks!?!", the combination of Stenman's rich compositions and Bruno's dynamic delivery underscore the kind of hardcore lineage that has always been core to the band's collective and individual DNA. 

Over the summer, the band furthered their exploration into unhinged aggression, dropping a powerful pair of tracks. On the turbo-charged "Far Out, Bro" the Barbarians of California enlisted Daryl Taberski of Snapcase, making for a healthy added dose of credibility while also tastefully showcasing their influences.  

On the most recent drop, "Bazooka" offered a dominant showcase of musical defiance - embracing the kind of confrontation posture that goes hand in hand with the ethos of hardcore punk. The track, in addition to packing a wallop, also served to officially introduce the band's debut album, And Now I'm Just Gnashing My Teeth. 

Set for an October 4th arrival date via ONErpm, the presentation serves as the culmination of not only a healthy rollout of adrenaline-fueled singles, but more importantly, a body of work indicative of true passion and a profound love for the genre. "This album is the culmination of many, many hours spent chasing down a sound that we weren't, currently, hearing out in the world," says Stenman. "Personally, I almost felt guilty getting to make it... like we were putting our real lives on hold to pursue a pure passion project. I hope that the amount of fun that we had making it, comes through to the listener."

Ahead of the album's arrival next month, The Barbarians of California have debuted yet another impactful preview - this time enlisting Tim McIlrath of Rise Against to better convey their message of musical dissent. With a energetic ebb and flow that transitions from soaring to scorching, McIlrath's voice only adds to the anthemic quality of track that asserts the real range of The Barbarians of California. 

McIlrath shared of the release, "Three Letters is a blast of energy that will be familiar to people like Aaron and who spent many of our formative years in the 90s hardcore world. I was glad to lend my voice to it and I hope it hijacks the airwaves near you soon.”

Paired with the premiere of the latest preview from And Now I'm Just Gnashing My Teeth, the duo of Aaron Bruno and Eric Stenman have compiled a well articulated, meticulously curated list of essential hardcore - better illuminating the kind of foundation that ultimately steered their stylistic sensibilities. Spanning generations and subgenre, the common denominator seemingly remains the kind of authenticity package into the project. It's something both Bruno and Stenman have long appreciated as fans and continue to prioritize as contributors. 

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SNAPCASE - Progression Through Unlearning (Victory Records, 1997)

This record felt like a pinnacle moment in the 90’s hardcore. Everyone looked up to them. I loved the earlier stuff, but because of this record, I’ve always considered them to ‘the Radiohead of hardcore’.  - Aaron Bruno

DAG NASTY - Can I Say (Dischord Records, 1986)

The intensity and emotion expressed on this album will stay with me forever. It’s one of the only records where I know every lyric to every song and could still sing along all these years later. As a guitarist, Brian Baker changed my outlook on the instrument in a huge way.  - Eric Stenman

STRIFE - One Truth (Victory Records, 1994)

This was the first hardcore record that I really studied and fell in love with. They were also the first hardcore band that I saw live. Growing up where I did, Strife were local heroes. I got to meet a couple of the members when they worked at the local mall. This was the first time where I was able to look behind the curtain and see the machinery of operating an indie band… printing flyers, t-shirts, etc. I listened to this album recently and it immediately took me right back to the hoodies I was wearing at the time… and the sense of discovery that the hardcore scene brought to my life. - Aaron Bruno

BAD BRAINS - Bad Brains (ROIR Records, 1982)

I feel safe in saying that every other band on this list might sound different if Bad Brains had never existed. They influenced everyone in one way or another. I’m also confident that Dr Know’s precise, metallic guitar work played a large role in initiating the separation of punk and hardcore. This first album is packed with landmark songs… “Sailin’ On”, “Attitude”, “The Regulator”… etc.  - Eric Stenman

REFUSED - The Shape of Punk to Come (Victory Records, 1998)

There’s no way around having this album on the list. No one can deny the huge reaction that it caused in the scene and it absolutely holds up today. It’s so impressive how they found ways of seamlessly incorporating jazz and electronic music without sacrificing any of the impact they were known for. Everyone knows this record is historic.  - Aaron Bruno

SWIZ - Hell Yes I Cheated (Sammich Records, 1989)

This is an example of the sad instances where some older records never make it into the streaming world. I can’t find this anywhere on Apple, Spotify, etc. Good thing I still have my physical copy. Shawn Brown’s vocals on this record are the epitome of badass. Nathan Larson played bass here and later went on to become my favorite guitarist ever in Shudder To Think.  - Eric Stenman

CEREMONY - Rohnert Park (Bridge 9 Records, 2010)

Even though this came out later… it struck me as such a great homage to earlier punk and hardcore. I’ve seen them live a few times and I was always floored. They take me back to the true spirit of the underground. The newer records that they’ve released sound nothing like this one, but are all impressive in their own way, as well.  - Aaron Bruno

7 SECONDS - The Crew (Better Youth Organization, 1984)

The first show I ever went to was 7 Seconds in Davis, CA. That night changed my life forever. The way Kevin (Seconds) blended messages, energy, aggression and melody was completely inspiring. Eight years later, I was fortunate enough to become friends with Kevin and even engineer/mix a few songs on a later 7 Seconds album.  - Eric Stenman

CONVERGE - Jane Doe (Equal Vision, 2001)

I may like some of their other records even more, but this record completely changed everything in my opinion. I will always point to this album as the first example where spastic, math, thrash was produced/recorded effectively.  - Aaron Bruno

SOCK - 3243 (Minus Head Records, 2024 Re-release)

Recording this (live-in-studio classic) one night in 1994 launched friendships that I cherish to this day. It also birthed Will Haven, who has a few albums that are definite “runner ups” on this list. Through Sock and (later) Will Haven, Grady Avenell stood out to me as an all-time vocal presence in the world of aggressive music.  Also, this batch of songs is proof that the universe needs Shaun Lopez (Far, Crosses) to write more hardcore riffs. - Eric Stenman

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The debut album from The Barbarians of California,  And Now I'm Just Gnashing My Teeth, lands October 4th via  ONErpm. The album is currently available for pre-order - HERE