Melotov Records presents the April 22nd release of Love It or Leave It, the debut album by LA “outlaw punks” NOMADS. Love It or Leave It follows a 2012 self-released demo, a 2013 split 7″ with Treacherouskin on Melotov Records, and a 2014 self-titled 7″ on the band’s own H1N1 Records.
Photo by Tyler Bradberry
Like a hurricane of sound, Nomads flattens all in its path. Whiplash d-beats, steamrolling riffs and wailing solos drive forward with natural disaster intensity, led by frontman Mocaine’s raspy ringleading. The band’s extreme brand of punk has its roots in Motorhead, Discharge, and Discharge-loving punks of the ’80s, like Anti Cimex from Sweden and Gauze from Japan.
But Nomads is an LA band, through and through. They take influence from around the world and bring it home to LA to tell their own nihilistic stories of drugs, violence, cops, and death. As one LA Weekly writer put it, Nomads “has given LA punk rock an updated version of N.W.A.” Like N.W.A. and Suicidal Tendencies, Nomads are LA bards giving a voice to the darkness and demons in the City of Angels.
From start to finish, Love It or Leave It is an album of storm-like sonic power and lyrical realness. Mocaine describes the meaning behind the album title: “It’s about completely disliking the reality we wake up to everyday. So you want to escape by getting high or dying. Or both.”
Tucked into the onslaught are two ripping covers – GG Allin’s “Commit Suicide” and The Sisters of Mercy’s “Lucretia, My Reflection.” In the hands of Nomads – and also thanks to the massive, wall-of-crust production and mastering of Taylor Young (Nails, Xibalba) and Brad Boatright (Magrudergrind, Full of Hell) – these disparate songs are transformed into two absolute anthems that fit right in to the whole.
Nomads was founded in LA in 2011 by ex-members of Product of Waste and Minority Unit. Current drummer Jorge “Basura” Herrera also pounds for Despise You and ACxDC.
“In translating his life into a band, [Nomads frontman ‘Mocaine’] has given LA punk rock an updated version of N.W.A.”
–LA Weekly“One band in LA that are down to use their sound as a weapon of change is Nomads… A sharp d-beat blade.”
–CVLT Nation“Distorted-as-fuck… Full-sprint into the fray…”
–Metal Injection
Tour Dates:
Feb 21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Union – “Butcher Forever” w/ Xibalba, Minus
Feb 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Union – “Nature World Night Out” w/ Soulja Boy, Trash Talk, Culture Abuse
Mar 1 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo w/ Battalion of Saints
Mar 2 – San Diego, CA @ Til Two w/ Battalion of Saints
Mar 3 – Mesa, AZ @ The Nile w/ Battalion of Saints, Phobia
Apr 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex w/ American Nightmare, The Trouble
