Vengeance and Validation: Internal Bleeding Decimate on ’Settle All Scores’

Vengeance and Validation : Internal Bleeding Decimate on 'Settle All Scores'

- By Ramon Gonzales -->

The Long Island's OGs of Slam deliver their first full length album in seven years with an effort that underscores the history of the band, the progressive sound well ahead of its time and the sweet taste of revenge. 

Well into the band's third decade of a decorated tenure, Long Island trailblazers Internal Bleeding find themselves at the apex of their own lengthy story arc. 

Unleashing their first full length studio album in more than seven years, the band have resurfaced, recalibrated, reinvigorated and singularly focused on reprisal. On Settle All Scores, the first studio effort under the Maggot Stomp banner, the innovators of slam death metal showcase the stylistic signature that has influenced generations of fans and bands since the band's early 90's formation, all while enacting their own brand of revenge on the entirety of their opposition - both professionally and personally. 

Fueled by a sincere sense of get-back, Internal Bleeding's sonic brutality thrives with a chip on its shoulder - resulting in eight caustic tracks of pure contempt actualized with burly riffs, pummeling percussive breakdowns and guttural growls that resonate as both cathartic and convincing. The continued fusion of hardcore DNA, metallic execution and hip hop swagger that was once well ahead of the curve, is now evidence of the band's forward-thinking and continued commitment to their sound. 

Previewing the pivotal full length album, Internal Bleeding have teamed with KNOTFEST.com for an exclusive stream of Settle All Scores ahead of the October 17th release. Offering some context and insight to the significance of the album, guitarist Chris Pervelis detailed how the project serves as a full circle moment for the band.

Emphasizing the familial ties of Internal Bleeding, the turbulent shared history and the sense of resilience that has galvanized the collective, Pervelis explained how Settle All Scores is two-fold in both finality and the future. 

 

This is album seven for the band and the first since 2018. How long have you been living with the songs on Settle All Scores and how does it feel to finally be delivering it to the world? 

Pervelis - We’ve been living with these songs, or the writing process for these songs, for what feels like forever. Writing began not long after Corrupting Influence (our last album) came out. When COVID hit, my songwriting partner Chris McCarthy and I threw out an entire half-album worth of songs and started again. We weren’t pleased with what we had written, so we saved a few riffs and ideas and started again. When it comes down to it, we’ve been living with this album and all the musical ideas since 2019 - that’s a long time. We’re both happy and relieved to have wrapped it all up and get it out there, and we hope our fans enjoy it.

Internal Bleeding with Maggot Stomp seems like such an ideal pairing of band and label. How did that partnership come together? 

Pervelis - We needed to make a dramatic change and shake things up. Everything was going well with our previous label, and there really weren’t any problems, but we felt they didn’t understand who we were as a band. A plan was hatched to ask the president of the label to release us from our contract, and like a gentleman, he did. From there, we knew Maggot Stomp would be the ideal fit. Scott (label owner) understands both our music and our history and has been a genuine fan since the beginning, even writing letters to me in the early ’90s; it’s a great fit, and we have a solid working relationship.

The title, Settle All Scores feels very much like a mission statement for this album. How big of a triumph is this collection of songs for you personally. What were the biggest scores this album settles? 

Pervelis -  I think the title and cover are as black and white as possible – we’re out to Settle All Scores. Personally speaking, I don’t see the album as a ‘triumph’, but rather as a cathartic release of 30+ years of pent-up frustration and anger at many people and entities that have either slagged us, lied to us, or ripped us off. This album ‘wipes the slate clean’ so to speak, and by letting out all this anger and frustration, and pointing it at the correct targets, we can move forward with a stronger sense of purpose and determination.

Now more than ever the lines between death metal and hardcore are blurred. Internal Bleeding have been a band that have enjoyed that respect among both circles for years. Do you take any stock in being originators that way? 

Pervelis - Absolutely. We have been pushing hardcore elements into death metal since the beginning, and we’re happy the world has finally come around to our point of view. In the early days, things were a bit different; we’d play with a lot of hardcore bands, but the scenes were more or less segmented. What I mean by that is that hardcore kids wouldn’t really go to metal shows and vice versa. Nowadays, there seems to be a bit more blending of the scenes, and I am both happy and grateful that we’ve stuck around long enough to see it finally happening; frankly, it’s a vindication of our sound and approach.

Taylor Young seemed like the perfect fit to deliver the final mix of this record. Was he your first choice? 

Pervelis -There was no other choice but Taylor. He has a knack for producing huge-sounding albums while also capturing a band’s desires for a mix. For example, the first mix he gave us was very close to what we wanted, but we were missing some critical, hard-to-define sonic elements. I sent him some long, rambling emails about it (sorry, Taylor!) and somehow, he knew exactly what I was talking about. When he dialed in those final details, we knew we had made the right choice. He gave us something modern, very heavy, and highly competitive. He captured the essence of Internal Bleeding like no one has done before.

There seems to be a very full circle aspect to this record. Even bringing back guys like Frank Rini, Jay Lowe and Joe Marchese. Is Settle All Scores for you more about finality or an indicator of the future? Or maybe both? 

Pervelis - It’s both. I want people to understand that this band has always been a family to me. Even though members may come and go, we have all shared a significant period of our lives. By having three previous vocalists on one album, I think it accomplishes this goal. As for the future, it can go both ways. I am pushing 60 years old now, running into physical limitations, etc., and I honestly don’t know if this is my last album; if it is, I can ‘retire’ satisfied. If it isn’t, Settle All Scores is a mission statement for the future.

Even after all these years, there is something fundamentally New York about Settle All Scores. How did New York shape Internal Bleeding?

Pervelis - Our music couldn’t have come out of any place but New York. The fast pace, crushing traffic, competition, and stress of living here are relentless. Add to that the cultural influences such as hip hop, hardcore, and the New York Swagger, and you have the perfect ingredients to produce the sound behind Settle All Scores and Internal Bleeding.

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Settle All Scores, the new album from Internal Bleeding is available October 17th via Maggot Stomp. Get the album - HERE

Vengeance and Validation: Internal Bleeding Decimate on ’Settle All Scores’

Settle All Scores Record Release Weekend sees the band playing three shows for the album in Poughkeepsie, Amityville, and Hamden November 14th through 16th. Final Resting Place will be joining them for the slaughter on all three shows, with additional special guests to be announced on each show.

Tickets for all shows are on sale now HERE. 

INTERNAL BLEEDING Settle All Scores Record Release Weekend

with special guests Final Resting Place

11/14/2025 Reason & Ruckus – Poughkeepsie, NY

11/15/2025 Amityville Music Hall – Amityville, NY

11/16/2025 Space Ballroom – Hamden, CT

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