Drawing from up tempo hardcore, noise, thrash and metal paired with imagery of beaches, death and nuclear weaponry to forge new ground in aggressive music, the debut EP from VOLENTE BEACH takes its place among the upper ranks of the bleak hardcore catalogue this year. To celebrate its release today, we havre teamed up with the band’s guitarist and vocalist Zachary Ingram to give you a special list of the band’s influences that shaped their sound. Zach reflects on bands that inspired him to make VOLENTE BEACH’s new EP Sounds Of The Ocean, which is out today on Illuminate My Heart Records!
Provoking audiences and listeners to remove the rose tinted sunglasses of modern society to take a harsh look at the world of today in hopes of encouraging honest conversations of how best to pick up the reins of society and steer away from the ever-advancing cliff of our collective demise, while the Doomsday Clock ticks closer to midnight.
Featuring members of Deaf Club, Glassing, Exhalants, Vampyre, and Honey & Salt.
10 Bands That Inspired (Zac) for Sounds of the Ocean
When we first conceived the idea of Volente Beach, the only thing we were saying was, “Let’s just start a hardcore band.” About a week into being a band we all went to see Impalers at Yellow Jacket. It was the first show I went to since lockdown. It really kinda slapped me in the face. It made me remember I was not alone and I did have a community that was also as pissed off as me. This band would not be here without Impalers.
At a bar I was previously working at, our drummer, Scott, walked in, and I started playing “Thrash Zoo” by Head Wound City. I remember us being like, “This is the vibe.” The patrons definitely disagreed with our vibe choice. So, it’s on the list. I have loved all the projects that everyone in Head Wound City has ever done.
Last year, when we were writing our EP Spectral Wound’s, A Diabolic Thirst never left my van’s CD player. So, I had to add them to the list. It’s really well done black metal from Canada.
I recall referencing No Heroes by Converge to the band a few times when we would stand around talking about what we wanted to sound like. I love how they get a tad noise rock on this one too. I got to see them this year at a super impromptu show. It’s so inspirational to see it that close up.
I took a trip to Chicago, October 2021, to see a friend and catch Oozing Wound. I walked away from that trip a different person, for sure. I love how they don’t give a fuck, genre wise— mixing thrash metal, noise rock and other extreme music. I had been jamming them a lot on my bike rides and seeing it live was a whole other thing. They fucking crush. They have lots of good records and keep putting out great stuff. They also have the word “wound” in their name.
I have to say it was a bit of an afterthought when we were listening back to our studio session, but Botch’s “An Anthology Of Dead Ends” was definitely, subconsciously, an influence on this EP.
Idylls from Australia is definitely a band I fuck with sonically. So, I feel like they creeped into my playing style, for sure.
KILAT is another band from Australia with members from My Disco and High Tension. I have to say this band was an inspiration, artistically, for me. I was a fan before they even had music up. To the point where I even ordered a shirt before even hearing them. I liked how they sold me with their vision and members first. Turns out, they fucking rip.
I had to throw Orchid on this list. Basically, any band Will Killingsworth plays guitar in I’m about.
I go into every winter solstice listening to Wolves In The Throne Room. We happened to be recording this EP last winter. They, at the time, had a somewhat new album out. So, yeah, Wolves In The Throne Room. Final answer.
Check out all the songs collected in one playlist HERE (and below).
