Bruiserweight’s new EP drops today on Unbeaten Records, following their March 7th single “Playing With Fire.” Formed in Montreal in late 2022, the band emerged fast—built off a demo from guitarist John, and shaped into its current form after vocalist and podcast host Beans turned down bass to take the mic. Ryan came in on bass, and drummer Nick was spotted working behind the counter of a local music shop.
The band’s sound pulls from ’90s hardcore—Madball, Biohazard, Integrity—while filtering it through a modern lens and personal tension. Songs get written live, full-band first, with lyrics following after the structure is solid. “We also make it a point to be very honest while writing,” Beans explains. “Nick could write the coolest drum fill ever heard, but if it doesn’t fit the vibes of the song, we put it on the back burner.”
The EP’s message is clear: resilience, realness, and pushing forward even when others want to see you fall. It’s a document of frustration but also connection. “Despite the challenges or hardships we face, in spite of all the people that would love to see us fail, we’re still standing.”
Artwork came together DIY-style. “I’d been taking some photos on a film camera in the summer last year, and some of them came out kinda weird and double exposed,” Beans says. “I decided to fuck around with it in Photoshop… visuals of the mountain and the city monuments to represent our home and our scene. Montreal has supported us from day one, and Montreal hardcore will always be our family.”
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That local connection matters. After moving to Montreal from Savannah, Georgia, Beans saw the scene shift. “Pre-pandemic the scene was at a bit of a lull,” he says, “but once 2021/22 hit, the scene was absolutely crazy. A new band was popping up every week. More and more faces at shows.” Now, the momentum continues with names like Prowl, Spite House, Cross Check, Iron Crusaders, Drive By, Heaven’s Cold Hands, and Desecrate. Shoutouts also go to Be About It and Lifers Records, who released the band’s 2023 demo.
Though the EP’s been done for over six months—some tracks almost two years old—the band’s now looking ahead. “The next thing in the works is an LP, but mainly playing as much as possible,” Beans confirms. “We’re already booking shows for the summer, mostly in the States, but we’ll be playing a bit in Canada and possibly even Europe this year.”
Full track-by-track commentary from the band is available below.
We Know The Truth
This song is about people that come in looking for clout and talk really loud, but they’re a six month face. They try to play virtue police and call out people that aren’t living up to their standards, but it’s all a cover for the skeletons in their closet. At the end of the day we see through your game.
Playing With Fire
This is the single we put out to announce the signing to Unbeaten. We’ve been playing this track for about a year now and it’s so much fun live. It’s about people that want to be one way to your face, but will just as quickly turn around and talk a bunch of shit behind your back. It’s a really quick song with a lot of energy.
Drag Me Down
This track is about not letting people’s negative energy or comments get to you. Just keep doing your thing and support what your friends are doing. Don’t give any time or energy to haters. If you have haters, you’re probably doing something right.
True To My Crew
This is the first song we wrote on the EP, towards the end of 2023. We had some friends dealing with some negative actors in their scene in another province, and it struck a nerve with me. Its a warning, come against the crew, you better be prepared to back it up. Also, it’s kind of a nod to 7 Seconds and The Crew.
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