I’ve always been a rabid consumer of Los Angeles hardcore, especially the filthiest kind. With each passing year, it obliterates my initial impression of the sunny, surf, and skate paradise that Tinseltown created. I think back to when I heard Despise You’s West Side Horizons, it cast an even uglier drape over an already unpleasant locale.
Today, L.A. feels as though it's barreling toward its depiction in Richard Matheson’s book, I Am Legend; a post-pandemic wasteland.
Forming last summer, Rob the Dead is a L.A. band writing songs that reflect the seedy underbelly of their hometown. The trio was started by guitarist Moses who sought to continue making music after leaving his previous band, Jack-Knife. Elaborating on the creation of Rob the Dead, Moses states, “I still had the itch to continue writing music.
"Having played with Eva’s previous band, I knew that if I wanted to start something new, it was going to have to be her on vocals, so I reached out and sent over a few demos, which ended up being our Nothing Personal EP. Rob joined the fold when we were ready to record.”
Rob the Dead released their first single, “Summer of Hate,” at the end of August, an anthem dedicated to as vocalist Eva put it, “[The] subject of telling people to fuck right off. No need to pretend for the sake of peace.” The song stands as the one that’s meant the most to Eva as she explained that most of her lyrics come from interactions she’s had with people in the past and how it’s affected her, adding to the venom felt through the 2-minute track.
Moses stated that while the band was heavily influenced by many of the grimiest bands blasting noise into our ears they also wanted to keep the record fun.
“We wanted a fun but dirty hardcore punk release. So you can hear a lot of Los Crudos, ACxDC, Drain, Goatwhore, Municipal Waste, and The Rival Mob.”
The moshability of the aformentioned Drain and The Rival Mob shines through on Nothing Personal's opening track, “Buen Humor” as it opens with a speedy attack of guitars and blast beats before switching tempos into a Mob Justice-esque two stepper. A quick yet effective way of gaining the attention of the fervent moshers in the crowd.
The following track “Won’t Be the Last” follows a similar trend of fast opening into an even more dynamic mosh part with Moses’ staccato riffage which, according to personal experience, has been known to cause severe ignorance of others within the pit. Forgoing the use of a bassist has never hindered bands like these because the focused attack of the guitars and the drums
The last track on Nothing Personal comes with their cover of the classic Brujeria track “La Migra,” which details the harrowing experiences of Mexican immigrants dealing with the border patrol.
While matching the intensity of the original track Eva’s yelled vocals and the speedier arrangement of the track really hammers it all home. Rob the Dead cover gives the short EP a truly grand finale. The song was released just weeks before frontman Juan Brujo of the legendary band passed away so while it was bittersweet I can’t think of a greater tribute:
Currently, Rob the Dead have no plans for any shows or tours because they are as Moses told me, “As of now, Rob the Dead is in writing mode. We’re set to go back in the studio to record two more songs in November and release those by the end of the year. Then, around March, we were planning to go back to record another 5-6 song release.”
With only about 5 minutes of music released at the moment, Rob the Dead didn’t feel they were ready to take the stage just yet but they are absolutely not opposed to playing shows in the near future. “Hitting the road with bands like Scalp, Violencia, and Ingrown would be ideal but if you allow us to dream a little, touring with Napalm Death and Soilent Green would be insane. I would not oppose to opening for Pantera or Suicidal Tendencies either," laughed Moses.
Rob the Dead would like to shout out: "Andrew from Dead Stare Studios, the boys in Jack-Knife, and thank you to everyone who's gone out of their way to give us a listen. It means the world to us."
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Rob the Dead on social media: Instagram | YouTube
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