Take It In Blood last appeared on No Echo in 2024 with their Roadmap of Pain EP, a release that introduced the French band’s uncompromising approach to metallic hardcore.
Since then, they have grown into a five-piece, secured a new record deal, and last month released their debut full-length, Exit From Life. The new album finds the band pushing their sound into even darker territory, cementing their place among the most vital acts in their country. I spoke with vocalist Tonio about the record, the shifting landscape of French Hardcore, and his refusal to write positive hardcore songs.
It’s been a little while since we last featured you on No Echo. Fill me in on some of the band's highlights since then. Lineup changes, tours, label deals, etc.
The last time we spoke, we were a four-piece band, but just after we released Roadmap of Pain in 2024, Max—who also plays in Worst Doubt, Moldy, and Prisonnier du Temps—joined us. Since then, we've been a five-piece. We can't really claim to be a straight edge band anymore because of him [laughs].
We played a lot of great shows in support of the EP through early 2025. After that, things slowed down a bit because we focused exclusively on writing the album. We only played one show last year, in Italy. At the end of 2024, most people know what happened with our sister Ola and her label, Quality Control HQ, and that marked a turning point for us.
Now we're signed to Borndead Collective in Paris and Burning Water / Hellride Records in the UK. They're smaller labels than QC, but they're friends of ours, friends of Ola's too, and they're people who truly understand what hardcore is about. It was an obvious choice to work with them.
It feels like TIIB's profile has risen since we last spoke. How does it feel from your point of view?
Good feedback is always nice, even though it's sometimes hard for me to accept because I'm never fully satisfied with what I do. But this is the first time I've felt like, "Yo, people really love our record," and I genuinely appreciate that.
We didn't invent anything, as I've probably said in previous interviews, but we put all of our energy into what we do, so I'm happy if people connect with it. Our music is heavy because that's what's going on in our minds. Our image is 100% who we are, even if we sometimes exaggerate things a little for artistic purposes. It's entertainment, even if it's rooted in truth.
I've read so many reviews praising Exit From Life, and a lot of people from bands we respect have given us flowers. We feel very grateful. I think people see us as a more serious band now.
Do you think Kickback's recent discovery by younger hardcore fans helped shine a light on the French scene?
I don't know. I could say yes because, most of the time, when you talk about hardcore with American people, there's a huge chance they'll bring up Kickback. It's been that way for years.
Every time a French band releases something, there's always someone saying, "This reminds me of Kickback," just because the band is French—even if it sounds like Dire Straits [laughs].
With all due respect to every other French or European band, there isn't a bigger hardcore band from France than Kickback. That's just a fact, so I understand why they're the reference point. It's funny because, here in France, with all the lore surrounding them, they're almost seen as the forbidden band—the one you're not supposed to mention. In the U.S., people seem much more relaxed about them.
These days, though, most of the younger hardcore kids I talk to in America are really into Headbussa. I think they're the band shining the biggest light on the French scene right now, thanks to their U.S. tours, Asian tour, and connection with DAZE.
It's cool because I can talk with younger people across the Atlantic about older French bands like Drowning, L'Esprit du Clan, or Stormcore, while older hardcore heads are discovering newer bands like Cold Decay, Worst Doubt, and others because of the internet—the same way I used to discover obscure American bands.
What are some of the lyrical themes you explored on Exit From Life? It's certainly as dark as expected from TIIB.
I won't be very original when I say it follows the same path as our previous records: depression, death, suicide, anger, my hatred toward certain people, and introspection.
I was going through a very difficult time mentally and emotionally when I started writing this album, but I think that actually helped. There's an artistic advantage to being sad and constantly brooding.
When Fredo, our bassist, came up with the title Exit From Life—which comes from the Confusion song "A Fatal Infection" — I knew it perfectly matched what I wanted to express in my lyrics.
If I were happy, it would probably mean the end of this band, or any project I'm involved in. I don't think I'd be capable of creating this kind of music if I weren't wired this way. For me, this music goes beyond saying, "Oh, cool riff." I want to listen to people who are just as angry as I am, or at least emotionally connected to what I'm feeling.
So don't call me if you want to start a positive hardcore band. I love some of those bands and respect what they do, but I'm definitely not the right person for it—even if, in real life, I'm a pretty chill guy who enjoys a lot of different things.
What are the group's plans for the rest of the year?
We have some great shows coming up: DIE Fest in England, our release show in Paris, dates in Sweden, Revolution Calling in the Netherlands, and we just played Finland a couple of weeks ago.
Hopefully we'll do some touring next year—we're already working on it. Who knows? Maybe we'll finally make it to the U.S. or Asia someday. We'd absolutely love that.
Outside of Take It In Blood, we're all busy with our other bands and our personal lives, so we're trying to be selective about the shows we play. I like building anticipation. I'm not really into playing the same city over and over again—you have to create a reason for people to want to see you. That's just my personal point of view.
What are the best and worst things about the hardcore scene in France right now? Who are some of the people putting in a lot of hard work behind the scenes to make cool shit happen over there?
The worst thing? Posers and tourists.
There are too many people who claim to be hardcore and talk like they invented it. They act as if they've been around longer than their grandfathers, but you never see them at shows—except when they're playing themselves.
Another thing is generic bands that sound terrible. So many times, I'm scrolling through Instagram, and I see sponsored posts from lame French bands. They dress like losers, make overproduced music, use generic or AI-generated artwork, and have this attitude I can't stand. You know the type: "Fund our album, we're cool because we played with this band once," while sticking their tongues out in every photo, trying to look sweet and harmless.
I know I sound like a hater, but I really can't stand that kind of band. It's hardcore. Sorry for being a dickhead.
Jokes aside, we have a lot of great bands too, and not just in Paris. There are passionate people organizing shows, making fanzines, and building scenes in Rennes, Nantes, Lyon, Lille, and Montpellier.
I book shows with my brother Hugo from Headbussa and Worst Doubt. My friend Benoit, who runs Borndead Collective and sings in Cold Decay, has been booking shows for years. We're putting together a two-day festival in September with Bulldoze, The Flex, our bands, and more.
Quentin from Corruption Pact and Hadrien from Glassbone also book shows in Paris. It's far from easy because this is underground music, but that's the whole point. You have to be passionate about it.
Any closing thoughts?
If you're tired of everything around you, move your ass and become part of your scene.
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Exit From Life is out now and available via Born Dead Collective (EU) and Burning Water / Hellride Records (UK).
Take It In Blood on social media: Instagram
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