Gary Mann is best known as the bassist for If Hope Dies and Unholy, but his latest project, Truest Form, has been in the works for nearly a decade.
The new hardcore outfit features members of Mushmouth, GhostXShip, and other familiar bands, with Mushmouth vocalist Chris Henzel bringing Mann's long-shelved songs to life. Their debut four-song EP arrived October 30 through Syracuse, New York's Doom City Records, with additional songs scheduled to arrive monthly until the full 16-track album, Dragged Through Hell, is unveiled on February 5, 2027.
The story behind the record is a strange one.
"I wrote this record years ago," Mann tells me. "A Facebook influencer hired me to write and record a fast hardcore record, so I did. That guy ended up being part of some scandal, so I kept the songs because I was proud of them."
Years later, drummer Chris Smith (Trail of Lies, GhostxShip) approached Mann about joining GhostxShip. Mann agreed, but with one condition.
"I said that if he could get the singer of his other band, Mushmouth, to sing on my record, I'd join. Mushmouth is one of my favorite hardcore bands, so I didn't think that would work. He sent it to Chris Henzel…and it worked. So here we are!"
Musically, Mann describes Truest Form as landing somewhere between Buried Alive and American Nightmare, with an emphasis on keeping everything short, fast, and angry. In fact, only one song on Dragged Through Hell runs longer than a minute.
"I always loved when bands like Nasum, Converge, and Terror wrote short, pissed-off songs and knew that's how long they should be," Mann explains. "So I wanted a whole album of that. No frills, just fast and angry."
The instruments were recorded at SandS Studios in Auburn, New York, while Henzel tracked his vocals at Oranjudio in Columbus, Ohio. Gabe Solomon, whose credits include State Champs, handled the instrumental recording, vocal mixing, and remastering.
For Mann, hearing Henzel on the songs confirmed that waiting all those years had been worth it. "Henzel hasn't missed a step since his Mushmouth days," he says. "Essentially, this record is about us being old and how the world has made us frustrated and angry since day one. We love hardcore and need it to survive, but society is a failed experiment, and people aren't worth saving."
Mann is also encouraged by what's happening around his hometown of Syracuse. "We're having a little renaissance in the Syracuse area right now. Earth Crisis is still crushing it. Newer heavy hitters like Pure Bliss and Missing Link have members from around here. Townsquare Execution, Quantifier, and Bitter Mess are a few standouts, too."
He adds that Henzel has been keeping tabs on Midwest bands such as Unholy Swarm, Global Hate, and Single Print Index.
As for Truest Form playing live, the members have plenty of other commitments to juggle. Henzel is involved with Mushmouth and Limb from Limb, while Mann also plays in With Teeth, Empires in Orbit, and GhostxShip.
"We want to carve out some time for this in early spring and play some shows," Mann says. "We love these songs, and if people end up taking to them and want to hear them live, we would love to go apeshit to them. The three of us are built to bring it 110% live, so I hope people demand we do it. Gotta get the word out."
For now, Mann is simply happy that the record he envisioned years ago has finally become a reality.
"I've been waiting almost a decade for the right singer to bring this record to life. Never would've dreamed one of my favorite heavy singers would end up being the voice, but now that it's all put together, I can see why the universe made me wait.
"Even the few songs that are literally five seconds long aren't throwaways with Chris's lyrics and delivery. If 16 songs totaling 11 minutes of aggression are what you've been searching for, you've found Truest Form."
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Truest Form on social media: Instagram
Tagged: ghostxship, if hope dies, mushmouth, truest form
