Seattle’s hardcore scene just got another heavy hitter. CHOPPING BLOCK, a band born out of the living room, has carved a name for itself in 2024 with a blend of raw, fast, and aggressive sound that’s equal parts old-school hardcore and modern fury.
Their latest release, a single-sided 12” EP titled Seattle’s Hardcore, just dropped through Brain Floss Records (BF-003), marking a significant milestone for a band that started as a casual project. Today, we’re stoked to share their story and the new wild offering in full!
CHOPPING BLOCK is: Alex on drums, Antonio on vocals, Brent on guitar, and Matt on bass.
The band’s origins are as authentic as they come.
Antonio, the band’s vocalist, shares a peculiar yet fitting story about their approach to songwriting. “I don’t remember who exactly but I think it was a Seattle band, I read an interview where a person first approached them about starting a band, they said something like ‘I wanna start a band that is like what hardcore sounds like when you close your eyes’ which is very funny because closing your eyes doesn’t change how you hear things. This is how I approach songwriting.”
This anecdote sets the tone for CHOPPING BLOCK’s music—rooted in tradition yet willing to play with the absurd.
Matt, the bassist, reflects on the band’s evolution from a casual jam session to a full-fledged hardcore outfit.
“CHOPPING BLOCK wasn’t supposed to be a real band. It was just a living room project, but when I heard the demo on Bandcamp, I called them up and said, ‘Listen, this band is too good to just be a project… and also I’m in it now.’ So that’s how I got in the band.” His story underscores the organic, almost accidental, nature of the band’s formation—a group that found its sound by chance but stuck with it because it was just too damn good to ignore.
Their new EP is a litmus paper of the energy and urgency they’ve built up over the past few years.
Following demos in 2019 and 2021, the band has been relentless in their pursuit of live shows, playing more than 15 out-of-town gigs across Canada, California, and the Pacific Northwest in the first half of 2024 alone.
Matt puts it best: “My favorite shows to play are the small ones. The shows you sometimes aren’t sure about, just in a basement, or art space. When you can plug in and connect with the crowd and they are reflecting your energy right back while standing right on top of you, it’s so powerful and fun.”
Brent, the guitarist, finds inspiration in musicians who’ve made long careers out of pushing their creative boundaries. “I’m inspired by guys like Colin Newman (Wire) and Robert Pollard (Guided by Voices)—career-long workhorses who continually push their creative boundaries.” That mindset clearly bleeds into CHOPPING BLOCK’s approach, driving them to craft dynamite infused hardcore that is both familiar and fresh.
And then there’s Alex on drums, who sums up the band’s current mindset perfectly: “My favorite part of this record is how we’ve been pushing each other creatively to make the songs more diverse and as exciting as possible. I’m really proud of these new songs.”
Looking ahead, CHOPPING BLOCK has no plans to slow down. They’ve got a Midwest Flyout on September 12-13 with PUBLIC OPINION, FULL STRIDE, and PREVENTION, hitting Springfield, IL, and Bloomington, IN.
Then, in November, they’re back in the Pacific Northwest for a Record Release Weekend, playing Seattle, Bellingham, Vernon, and Vancouver.
Early 2025 sees them taking on Northern California, with a full California tour planned for March.
For a band that wasn’t supposed to exist, CHOPPING BLOCK is making a loud new start. Keep an eye out for them—they’re just getting (re)started. For those who dig the sounds of CARRY ON, BERTHOLD CITY, MINDSET, or 86 MENTALITY, CHOPPING BLOCK should be right up your alley.
