2 months after the initial teaser in late March, groovy, 80s crossover and NYHC influenced metallic hardcore punk act SHADOW OF DOUBT return with a full presentation of their concise distillation of old school, thrash infused hardcore punk that never feels like a gimmick. We’re thrilled to give an exclusive first listen of “No Mercy”, a powerpack of tunes that yield some of the most outrageous and exhilarating blends of crossover thrash, NYHC and southern metallic hardcore! Play it loud, dig it, scroll down to see our short interview and track-by-track feature, and be sure to pre-order your copy via War Records, Bandcamp or iTunes!
Top photo by Jonathon Sauceda
Interview:
Shadow of Doubt has been around for a few years. What do you think is the biggest change for the band with No Mercy?
Patrick: I think to me the biggest think to change is getting on WAR Records. Now we’ll have so many more ears to hear our music. And the fact that Andrew from Strife (who is one of our favorite bands) runs it is the coolest part. We look up to that band so it’s an honor to have him putting us out.
Patrick and Ely both previously played in Bitter End and Hardside… Why did you guys leave and what was the inspiration for starting Shadow of Doubt?
Patrick: Ely is an original member of Bitter End. I just filled in on some tours and played a lot of home shows with them. I guess I’m an honorary member haha.
We started Hardside back in 2010 and it’s still active, only I really help write and play shows at home.
We started Shadow of Doubt basically because Ely wanted to sing for a band. He always played drums. I wrote some songs from there and then we recorded the demo. I had just been writing stuff that was really influenced by Cro–mags and Leeway and it worked out to make the sound we have now.
What is the meaning behind the title of the EP, “No Mercy”?
Patrick: The title comes from the idea that we’re pretty much past the point of mercy. Life is just harsh. It always has been but now online you’re bombarded with video and picture proof of it. Society has no mercy therefore the subculture has none in return.
How did you link up with WAR Records for this release? What has it been like working with them?
Patrick: We had met Andrew in California when we recorded the first Hardside record. Ely had kept in touch with him and showed him the music. Lucky for us he digs it and he’s been promoting the shit out of it. I think he really believes in the music he puts out.
No Mercy releases this Friday. What are the future plans for the band and when can people expect to see you on tour?
We have a video coming soon that we just shot for the title track of the EP. We’re working on lining up our schedules for a tour right now. We’ll be heading out to play some shows in California to promote the release and go from there.
Track by track breakdown:
Beyond:
For Beyond I basically wanted to write an intro to really set off the set for us. I had some of the riffs in the back of my mind forever. It just really came together once I had played it with our drummer Lorenzo. I think it sets the tone for the rest of the record musically.
No Mercy:
No Mercy is just an in your face song that never lets up. The riffs for this all came to me after I had written the first part of the song. I’m really proud of how this song came together. And the break towards the end slows down to a real ass beater part which I love. I wrote the lyrics right after the election and I was just pissed off and in vibe with the theme me and Ely had talked about. No Mercy is what you will receive from this world.
Neglect:
Neglect is a real personal song for Ely. We all have relationships that get taken away from us through various circumstances. This is about the frustration of all that. Musically I had wanted to write something that was very melodic, yet still heavy. I wrote the main part that’s just a couple simple chords and the rest really came from there.
Fade:
Fade is a personal song for me. Some times you have people that turn out to be harmful for you. The ones whom you love the most will let you down. It’s really saying blood is the only thing we share. With this song I was really inspired from listening to a lot of Leeway. I just wanted to have that sound that’s really hard and driving with some melody over it. And the outro on this song goes back to the intro to fade out.
More about SHADOW OF DOUBT:
Formed in 2014, SHADOW OF DOUBT is a blue-collar powerhouse that is a major part of the new breed of Texas hardcore. Featuring former members of BitterEnd, Hardside, and more, the band combines their love for crossover, hardcore, punk, and metal, with powerful and memorable riffs reminiscent of the classic NYHC sound, resulting in the perfect soundtrack for this modern age of quarrel.
SHADOWOFDOUBT‘s new No Mercy picks up right where their 2014 demo left off, combining crushing riffs in the vein of Cro-Mags and Leeway while maintaining a modern sound reminiscent of Mizery, Take Offense, and Beautiful Ones. The four-song EP was recorded in November 2016 by Phillip Odom (Ivy League) at Bad Wolf Studios, and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Integrity, Power Trip, Nails).
The band issued: “SHADOW OF DOUBT is ecstatic to be putting our new record No Mercy out on WAR Records! We put a lot of time and energy in to these songs, and I think that it shows. The fact that Andrew who runs WAR is from the legendary Strife is incredible. To know that someone from a band that we admire and are influenced by believes in our music enough to put it out for us is nothing short of amazing.
Label owner Andrew Kline announced: “We are excited to add SHADOW OF DOUBT to the WAR Records roster. I have known Ely since he was in Bitter End, and I am a big fan of all of their releases. He sent me the recording of No Mercy, and I was instantly sold. Heavy and groovy hardcore inspired by some of my favorites like Leeway, Killing time, and Cro-Mags (Best Wishes and Alpha Omega-era)… Although the music is a nod to the past, SHADOW OF DOUBT fits in seamlessly with current hardcore bands such as Power Trip, Take Offense, Mizery, Alpha Omega, and more!”
