Bad Influence

Bad Influence is a hardcore punk crew from my own native Tacoma, Washington. They recently recorded their first EP, which has received almost nothing but positive reviews and for good reason. Forming only a little over a year ago, They have gained much attention from the NWHC scene and other places around the united states. Bad Influence doesn't mess around when it comes to their music. They're loud, fast, tempestuous and hold faithful to their hardcore roots while not sounding like they're trying to be Black Flag. Admittedly, most hardcore coming out in this day and age is about appearances and sex appeal. They stand for what they believe, and will shove it down your throat with pure energy.

The opening track starts and right off the bat, the anger Bad Influence holds behind their music and lyrics is unavoidable. Frontman Tito Nunez's gruff vocals and incensed lyrics engage the listener rin everything he conveys. Throughout the whole thing he has many snappy, memorable tag lines, such as: "I'm running through you motherfuckers with my negativity!" and "You're garbage and you know it!" He just shows the best of the mean and aggravated side of hardcore. Pure, unadulterated anger, and I love every moment of it.

The huffy guitar riffs make me nostalgic for the good old 80's hardcore scene but still manage to be incredibly fresh and crisp. 'Til I Die' is a prime example. The tight, almost thrash metal riffs get me worked up no matter how many times I listen. There's a build-up point where the guitars have a thrash-riff harmony with Tito barking into the mic and it's just straight-up badass.

The EP features two tracks with members of one of my personal favorite hardcore bands out of the northwest scene since Botch, namely Cowardice: ('Weighing The Odds' ft. Jeremy Bushnell and 'Outcast' ft. Whittney Schuppert). Bad Influence filmed an in-studio music video for 'Sanity'; this could very well have been a single. It's not only the "catchiest" (as much as I hate using that phrase) but also just the most well-written and performed.  

In short, this album is a hard, heavy, angry and mean. When it comes to hardcore, Bad Influence knows what they're doing. It's definitely worth the $5 usd on their bandcamp and a must have for people who yearn for the days when hardcore was true,pure, fast and unapologetic; not about deep v-necks and breakdowns. Tacoma has always been known for its thriving hardcore scene, and no one represents NWHC better than Bad Influence.

#Bad Influence #hardcore punk #Stubble #Beau Stinson