COMBUST: Andrew Vacante, King of Staten Island Hardcore

Summary

HardLore Podcast Episode Summary

Title: COMBUST: Andrew Vacante, King of Staten Island Hardcore
Release Date: May 29, 2025
Hosts: Colin Young, Bo Lueders
Guest: Andrew Vacante, Vocalist of Combust

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Introduction

HardLore, the compelling podcast that melds hardcore music lore with authentic touring experiences, welcomes Andrew Vacante, the charismatic frontman of Combust, for an in-depth conversation. This episode delves into Vacante's journey from Staten Island's hardcore scene to leading one of the most influential bands in the genre today.

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Early Beginnings and Staten Island Roots

Andrew Vacante opens the discussion by reflecting on the unique cultural landscape of Staten Island within the New York hardcore scene. He emphasizes the borough's often-overlooked contribution to hardcore music.

Andrew Vacante [00:48]: “We are a legitimate part of New York City.”

Vacante recounts his initial foray into music, highlighting the pivotal moment in middle school when a friend introduced him to heavy metal, sparking his lifelong passion.

Andrew Vacante [05:13]: “Hearing music like that, like, kind of just changed the way my brain worked.”

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Formation of Combust

Post high school, Vacante discusses the tumultuous period leading to the formation of Combust. After his previous band, Vice, disbanded amidst internal conflicts, Vacante found himself navigating both the music industry and a stint as a truck driver—a period marked by personal and professional challenges.

Andrew Vacante [28:02]: “I get fired combustion. Yeah.”

The genesis of Combust was a response to a void in the New York hardcore scene, aiming to create a band that truly represented the borough's spirit. The recruitment of fresh talent and the integration of members from diverse backgrounds played a crucial role in shaping the band's unique sound.

Andrew Vacante [31:52]: “Graphic designers are maybe the most annoying people to do business with of all time because they're...”

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Touring Tales and Challenges

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around Vacante's touring experiences, particularly the infamous tour with a poorly skilled driver nicknamed "Shark." The anecdotes highlight the unpredictable and often chaotic nature of touring life.

Andrew Vacante [53:56]: “So the Dude, he hit something...”

Vacante shares harrowing yet humorous stories from European tours, including difficulties at customs and mishaps during shows, underscoring the resilience required to sustain a touring career.

Andrew Vacante [54:43]: “Why can't one of these, like, move something in my house when it's, you know, like.”

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Album Creation and "Belly of the Beast"

Transitioning to the creative process, Vacante provides insights into the making of Combust's sophomore album, Belly of the Beast. He discusses the transition from frenetic touring to focused studio work, collaborating with producer Justice, and the personal growth that influenced the album's direction.

Andrew Vacante [78:51]: “A lot of it was just me buckling down alone in my house...”

The album's themes revolve around perseverance and the critique of modern fame, reflecting Vacante's frustration with a culture that venerates people who seemingly do "nothing."

Andrew Vacante [95:03]: “...people now want so much for doing like essentially nothing.”

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Reception and Impact

Upon release in 2022, Belly of the Beast received a positive reception, marking a turning point for Combust as they began to solidify their place in the hardcore scene. Vacante recalls the emotional moment during their first European show in Cologne, Germany, where the overwhelming audience response affirmed the band's hard work.

Andrew Vacante [61:33]: “I was almost like, you know, on the verge of tears, bro.”

The album's success fueled subsequent tours, including international destinations and collaborations with notable hardcore acts like Terror, further amplifying Combust's influence.

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Future Endeavors and Closing Thoughts

Looking ahead, Vacante expresses excitement for future projects and tours, particularly the upcoming release of their second LP. He acknowledges the challenges but remains optimistic about Combust's trajectory in the hardcore scene.

Andrew Vacante [77:56]: “We have the Midwest run out to tie down with Apex Predator and Steamroll.”

The hosts, Colin and Bo, commend Vacante and Combust for their dedication and contribution to the genre, reinforcing the podcast's theme of celebrating hardcore music's rich narratives.

Colin Young [113:39]: “Belly of the Beast, what a great record. You guys really. You crushed this one.”

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Notable Quotes

• Andrew Vacante [00:00]: “People now want so much for doing like essentially nothing...”
• Andrew Vacante [05:13]: “Hearing music like that, like, kind of just changed the way my brain worked.”
• Andrew Vacante [31:52]: “Graphic designers are maybe the most annoying people to do business with of all time because they're...”
• Andrew Vacante [78:51]: “A lot of it was just me buckling down alone in my house...”
• Andrew Vacante [95:03]: “...people now want so much for doing like essentially nothing.”

---

Conclusion

This episode of HardLore offers a raw and unfiltered look into Andrew Vacante's life as a hardcore musician, revealing the highs and lows of leading Combust. From the gritty streets of Staten Island to international stages, Vacante's story epitomizes the relentless passion and resilience that define the hardcore community. Listeners gain valuable insights into the band's creative process, the challenges of touring, and the unwavering commitment required to remain relevant in a constantly evolving music scene.

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For those who haven't listened to the episode, this summary encapsulates the essence of Andrew Vacante's journey with Combust, providing an engaging and comprehensive overview of the discussions and experiences shared.

Transcript

[Andrew Vacante]

People now want so much for doing like essentially nothing. And everyone who's essentially famous and looked up to and revered is like all these people who do nothing and true. It's, it's just like a strange world we live in in which, like, I think the best, the best feeling is when you see something pay off from all the hard work that you put into.

[Colin]

God. Hello, welcome. It's hard Lore time. How you doing, Bo?

[Bo]

I'm doing so well today. Colin, how are you?

[Colin]

Couldn't be better. We've got, we've got a guest that. This is now his, technically his third appearance on the show.

[Bo]

Right. New York FYA and now.

[Colin]

But this is his first full appearance where we're gonna really crack into the nut, the shell of the nut that is Combust vocalist Andrew Vacante. How are you, sir?

[Andrew Vacante]

I'm doing great. I love this.

[Colin]

So excited to have you. We were chatting at LDB the other day and I couldn't stop just thinking like, man, this is gonna be a good one. Some call you the real prince of Staten Island.

[Andrew Vacante]

The real prince.

[Colin]

Would you think that's true?

[Andrew Vacante]

I mean, if anything, it would have to be king rather than Prince. I'd say.

[Colin]

Okay, so, so, so Pete Davidson is your biological son?

[Andrew Vacante]

You know, I know, I know people who are actually pretty chill with Pete Davidson. He apparently went to my school, but I didn't know him then. So.

[Bo]

Okay, what is, what is Staten Island? I've never been. I don't know the culture. I got nothing.

[Andrew Vacante]

Most people really don't go to Staten Island. They have no reason to, so that's fair. But it's the fifth borough of New York City. We are a legitimate part of New York City.

[Bo]

Staten island and Queens.

[Andrew Vacante]

There you go. See, right? People like to forget.

[Colin]

Biohazard remembers.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, Biohazard puts more respect on Staten island than most people.

[Colin]

So do you, as a Staten Islander find it odd that Long island is not a borough?

[Andrew Vacante]

I don't think it's odd because that's like a, it's like a whole different world out there kind of. It may as well be Connecticut to me.

[Bo]

But that's what they say about you.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, yeah.

[Colin]

You live in a, in a pond, on a creek with a moat.

[Andrew Vacante]

The beef is eternal, bro.

[Colin]

I got you. I got you.

[Andrew Vacante]

If they're going to talk shit about Staten Island, I have to.

[Colin]

You got to give it back. Is it as isolated as it appears from the outside? Like, did it, did it have its own kind of like self integrated scene.

[Andrew Vacante]

As far as hardcore goes? Like so I mean, even dating back from when my cousin would tell me stories from, like, the 90s and, you know, late 80s of Staten island hardcore, like, it was definitely a lot of bands that were just kind of within their own bubble and, like, doing their own thing. And then, like, they would. He would say a lot of the times that kids from the scene, even though the scene was popping, wouldn't leave Staten island to go to shows outside. Just him and his friends would go. So. Yeah. And then even when I started going to shows, it seemed that way. It was like we had our own little thing and not many people wanted to leave that. So then it became me and my friends being the only people going out of Staten island to go to shows. So.

[Colin]

So you and the boys loaded up the pontoon boat, hit the. Hit the quarry, the fan boat. We took it to Brooklyn.

[Andrew Vacante]

You had to take the ferry into the city. Then you take the train in the Brooklyn or wherever. The show. A lot of the shows are going on in the city. When I was a kid, though.

[Colin]

Right.

[Bo]

That's nice.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Did you get. Did you ever get to go to CBs?

[Andrew Vacante]

No, no, I got. I got into hardcore 2006. Seven. So.

[Colin]

Okay.

[Bo]

Okay.

[Colin]

Right. Right at the end of it.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Hey, I just want to say I'm sorry about the. The come bust, come bust thing. I think it's. I think it's gonna follow you for the rest of your life, bro.

[Andrew Vacante]

You. I've said this from day one, that you did this. You've. You've ruined us.

[Bo]

It really got away from you, didn't it?

[Andrew Vacante]

I appreciate the formal apology, though.

[Colin]

It's a cool word, but it's unfortunately a combination of two much cooler words.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. I really, really. You sunk us, pal.

[Colin]

Sorry, man. I just did it again, too, but. So let's go back in time.

[Andrew Vacante]

Okay.

[Colin]

Let's get to young Andrew. I want to know about the shows that you went to growing up, the formative experiences you had in hardcore music. How did you get here?

[Andrew Vacante]

Do you want to go back before hardcore? I could do that.

[Colin]

Yeah. I know a couple things, so I'm excited to talk about.

[Andrew Vacante]

Oh, no.

[Colin]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

Okay. So I would say I got into. I got into, like, heavy music in general just because I always found myself liking aggressive music, but I didn't know what any of it was. So, like, you know, typical. You hear. I love Tony Hawk, pro skater songs, but, like, I didn't know what it was.

[Bo]

Right.

[Andrew Vacante]

I loved. I loved, like, Grand Theft Auto, Vice City v. Rock soundtrack, but I didn't know what it was, you know, I mean, so, sure. So then I would say around six to the seventh grade, I met this friend. And, you know, he was into a lot of metal stuff, but I only knew about, like, my. Was like Eminem, Limp Bizkit, like, some other random thrown in there. Like, I was really in the Good Charlotte for a minute. So.

[Colin]

Yeah, really into Good Charlotte.

[Andrew Vacante]

I was. Yeah, that was pop. But.

[Bo]

What year were you born?

[Andrew Vacante]

93.

[Bo]

93, okay. Yeah, that makes sense. That kind of tracks.

[Andrew Vacante]

So. Yeah. So around then, my friend was like, yo, you gotta, you gotta listen to, like, all these bands that I'm into. And I was like, okay. He's like, let's hang out after school. I was like, okay. So he comes over, he's got this yellow boom box, he's got a bunch of CDs. And the first one he throws on A System of A Down. And see, you're shaking your head, but here's the thing, it slaps.

[Bo]

Yeah, I, I, I can always, I can always understand System of A Down being a catalyst. I get.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, you know, totally.

[Colin]

I mean, they're, they're, they're, I think they're technically 818, so I got, I gotta support it, you know, so.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, I guess, I guess so. I mean, yo, they had to have been, they had to have been tapped in back then with.

[Colin]

Yeah, they, they know, they know some things.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, it seems so, like, off the bat, I was into it and, like, it just kind of changed it. Yo. It's like kind of exactly what hardcore did to me as a kid. Hearing music like that, like, kind of just changed the way my brain worked. So I was super into it. And then he just gave me a bunch of, like, Iron Maiden and, like, Judas Priest and, and Black Sabbath and all that, so. And Metallica, of course. You know, all the Big Four stuff. And I was getting super into metal. And that was like, kind of a short stint from that. Because then as soon as I was, like, getting in the metal and I was picking up bass and I was learning stuff. My uncle, who I was very close with, you know, his son, my cousin, who was way older than me, he was like, I was like, oh, I'm learning how to play bass. I'm going to start a band. I'm going to start a metal band. And he's like, you got to talk to. You got to talk to your cousin Chris. And like, I wasn't really close with him. I was younger, he was way older, you know, and so I ended up seeing him again at some point, and I was like, yo, I'm. I'm getting in the metal. I like these bands, blah, blah. He's like, I got you, hold on. And the next time I saw him, he came with a stack of burnt CDs. And I'm very. I'm very sorry to everyone who's listening to this is like, I've heard this 10 million times on any other interview you've ever done. I'm sorry, but. But yeah, he gave me just a stack of CDs of, like, every essential hardcore and, like, punk rock record of all time. I have them still right here.

[Colin]

But so is there an interaction where you're like, holy shit, these are all these incredible hardcore bands. And then he's telling you, hey, they're all from New York. And then you're like, are any of them from Staten Island? And he's like, no.

[Andrew Vacante]

Well, he did give me Staten island bands. So. There were Staten island bands.

[Bo]

Well, fill us in. What do we have?

[Andrew Vacante]

Okay, so there was on the Staten island bands. Yeah, yeah, there was in the 90s, there were bands like CR, Fallacy, Mod Foot. There was. I mean, listen, you're not gonna know him.

[Bo]

Yeah, yeah, I. I would love to know one. You know what I mean? It would feel good.

[Andrew Vacante]

I feel like the only band that you. That people might know is cr.

[Bo]

Okay?

[Andrew Vacante]

Because, like, they're on legendary flyers. Like, they're even in the floor punch book a bunch of times.

[Bo]

Okay.

[Colin]

Right.

[Andrew Vacante]

You know, so they've been around. They would play with indecision constantly. The singer Bricks was in that band Miracle Drug.

[Colin]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

Out of Kentucky, you know, so, yeah, I mean, and then I kind of put that on, and then I put those CDs on and the old Walkman.

[Bo]

And do you remember the first one you put on?

[Andrew Vacante]

I think it was Age of Quarrel.

[Bo]

Isn't that beautiful?

[Colin]

That'll do it every time.

[Bo]

Isn't Harley from Staten Island?

[Colin]

I think. I think Stigma was joking when he said that. But either. Either way, we're gonna perpetuate it.

[Bo]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Andrew Vacante]

That might have been a slight. I don't know.

[Colin]

I liked it. So you find hardcore early, Your cousin gets you into it, you're trying to learn bass, you want to start a band.

[Andrew Vacante]

So I already have a band at this point.

[Colin]

Straight up, it's middle school.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Bo]

Beautiful.

[Colin]

Sick.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's a three piece metal band. And we went through like 10 name changes. The one that we finally landed on was called Preaching to the Converted.

[Colin]

I was gonna ask about this?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yes. I don't know how you even know that that's up and it's.

[Colin]

Crazy name.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

You know where I got it from?

[Colin]

No.

[Andrew Vacante]

You know the. You know the band Lamb of God, Obviously.

[Bo]

Yeah, sure.

[Andrew Vacante]

The band before them, Burn the Priest.

[Bo]

Yes.

[Andrew Vacante]

They had a song on that record that I really liked for some reason. I got it at fye. And the. The album cover was Burn the Priest, and it was a burning priest and nun. And I was like, this is the hardest shit I've ever seen.

[Colin]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

And we started the metal band, and I was like, yo, it's got to be called Priest, Preaching the Converted. And then we just. We made a lot of bad songs. I fronted the band and. And played bass. I sang and played bass. Our first show, we covered the Trooper.

[Bo]

Yes.

[Colin]

Dude, I knew you were gonna say we covered the Trooper.

[Bo]

Did you say I didn't know that?

[Colin]

I don't know.

[Bo]

You sang that. You sang Bruce's?

[Andrew Vacante]

No.

[Bo]

Damn. Okay.

[Colin]

You got pipes like that for real?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yo, I used to be. I used to have pipes on another level. Pause.

[Colin]

I would love to hear Iron Maiden in your wild accent.

[Andrew Vacante]

Before my voice was completely shredded by, like, the way that I would sing in the next bands that I would do. I was a pretty good singer, I'm not gonna lie.

[Colin]

I believe you.

[Andrew Vacante]

But, yeah, we did. We did the Trooper. We covered. We did Police Truck by Dead Kennedys.

[Colin]

Nice. Great song. Tony Hawk, you know?

[Andrew Vacante]

And then three. And then three originals.

[Bo]

Nice.

[Colin]

And this is at Tottenville High School.

[Andrew Vacante]

What the. Yo, this is like Nardoire, bro. No, see, I. I was still in middle school at the time.

[Colin]

Oh, okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

Wow.

[Colin]

So Preaching Converted was middle school.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yes.

[Colin]

Okay. So in high school.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. We played our first show at Lamore, the Staten Island.

[Bo]

Oh, okay. Okay, okay. Okay, cool.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Bo]

Three originals as your first band is pretty impressive.

[Colin]

I agree.

[Bo]

My first band was also in middle school, and we just did only covers, but, like, Chris the Harm's Way drummer played drums.

[Andrew Vacante]

Well, listen, the songs were not good, man, so it doesn't matter.

[Bo]

It's still cool.

[Colin]

I would love to hear. You got recording.

[Andrew Vacante]

You got it of those. Hell no. We never recorded anything until we became like a. A slightly metal, corish band.

[Colin]

How long after high school until Vice starts? Is Vice your next band?

[Andrew Vacante]

Vice starts in high school, but I was in, like, a bunch of other hardcore bands before Vice playing bass, but you never would have heard any of those. So about. I'd say, junior year of high school, I started Vice, like, the end of junior year.

[Colin]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Do you have a friend named James on Staten Island?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Did you have a screen print shop in his basement?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, we did.

[Colin]

What the hell was that about?

[Andrew Vacante]

So, you know, I, you know, I feel like at the time we just kind of wanted to be as DIY as possible. I was very adamant. I was like. I said I had an old head from like when I was 11 on. So like.

[Colin]

Sure.

[Andrew Vacante]

And he is like a self made guy to like, he learned everything by himself and he was a, he's a very hard worker and like, you know, he just gets shit done. And he was kind of like always my inspiration, you know, and, and he would just school me to what's good and he's like, yo, people like, you can, you can print shirts yourself and shit. And then like, I don't know how this started, but like we wanted a tour and we were like, we were broke. We were just broke kids, you know what I'm saying? So we essentially just looked up how to, how to start printing shirts and we, we like went to Blick in the city. Got a bunch of stuff.

[Colin]

Good store.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, good store. And we got like a folding table, a piece of plywood, one little like screen, like a really bad one. Like cuz, you know the stuff they would sell in Blick. So it's not going to be good.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

And then we like hammered this piece of plywood connected to the screen on, on the folding table and then we started printing up all these shirts and we would cure them with a. Of a heat gun.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Colin]

And for real diy.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

That's cool.

[Bo]

Sick.

[Colin]

Yeah, that might be. That's one of the coolest things about you. Some would say.

[Andrew Vacante]

We tried putting them in an oven once.

[Colin]

How'd that go?

[Andrew Vacante]

No, not well, probably. Well, you see they.

[Colin]

Onion and garlic, you see, the shirts.

[Andrew Vacante]

Would burn, so that's the problem.

[Colin]

Yeah, understood. So Vice starts while you're in high school, you guys. I mean this band did stuff. Vice NY often compared to Vice. Oh, yeah, that was, that was a, that was a rough trajectory, huh?

[Andrew Vacante]

That really. It was not the best start for someone trying to be in a touring band, I'll tell you that.

[Colin]

Sure.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

It was always like, oh, Vice is playing. Ah, Vice is fine.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. Yep. You know what though? After the, after everything, it's kind of.

[Colin]

Like you did all right.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, you know, I kind of came out on top of that one.

[Colin]

Yeah, I think so too.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Tell me about Vice's early run ins with a little band called Knock Loose. Is it true you were their Favorite hardcore band.

[Andrew Vacante]

I'm gonna. I'm gonna just tell people that till the dawn of time. But.

[Colin]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

I mean, I may be misremembering it, but, you know, I remember something of the. Along the lines of us playing the second Knock Loose show ever in Kentucky on our tour. This was like 2013. And I see. I see a bunch of little kids, they're loading in their equipment with their parents. I'm like, yo, I used to do that. That's cool. And they were just cool kids. And then they get up on stage and they sound like, disembodied. And I was like, what the. I was like, this is crazy as shit. Some in the middle of nowhere Kentucky, bunch of kids play music like disembodied. So we just.

[Colin]

The captain of the. The capital of Kentucky.

[Andrew Vacante]

You asking the wrong person, brother.

[Bo]

No, I think it's Lexington.

[Andrew Vacante]

Lexington, okay.

[Colin]

Either way, the biggest city in Kentucky being the middle of nowhere.

[Bo]

Yeah, but it's the biggest city, like 80,000 people. Yeah, exactly.

[Andrew Vacante]

Right, Right. Then it's like, Kentucky's the Staten Island.

[Colin]

They don't even got boats.

[Andrew Vacante]

And Louisville, they might. I don't think so.

[Bo]

A city literally on a river. Did. Did. When Knock Loose played, did they like blow you off the stage? Like, was it crazy?

[Andrew Vacante]

No. No one knew who they were. Yeah.

[Bo]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

I mean, because we. And it's not like Vice was playing anything crazy.

[Bo]

Sure, sure.

[Andrew Vacante]

The typical Vice show was like, on a tour that we were doing, Most likely a 60 day US tour for no reason would be like, the average attendance would be like, anywhere from 30 to 50 people.

[Bo]

I ask, I only ask because US and Code Orange, very similar story. Played Louisville 2013. And they played and it was like, holy. Like, really?

[Andrew Vacante]

So then this must have. So our show must have been, like. I said, it was their second show ever.

[Bo]

It was late. Yeah, yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

It must have been like, right after the pop, because I remember. So we spoke to each other. I was like, yo, we should. You know, we should show these kids what's up. I was like. I was like, you know, I wanted to be an old head at 20 in 2013, so I was just being cool. I was like, yo, let's tour tour. And they were like, yo, yeah, your band's cool. We just linked up. And then I think, like, less than a year later, we did a tour together. And that was when. That was when I was like, this is gonna be a phenomenon. Because they were smoking us every night to the point we're like, you guys gotta go on after us. Because everyone's leaving. Yeah. Yeah.

[Colin]

It happens.

[Bo]

That is what happened with us. Us and code. Half the room left, and then we played.

[Andrew Vacante]

Dude, it was. Yeah, it was crazy to watch, so.

[Colin]

And all the while, you're in their favorite hardcore band. That's true.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. And, like, they just makes you think they were just trying to emulate Vice. So crazy.

[Colin]

Part of this interruption. We got to talk to you about something extremely important. Are you in a band? Do you tour? Do you do merch? Do you tm. Do you do anything in the capacity of live music whatsoever?

[Bo]

Mm.

[Colin]

If so, I bet you need glasses.

[Bo]

I bet you do. I sure do.

[Colin]

And if you need glasses, how do you feel about getting some free glasses?

[Bo]

I couldn't feel better about that, Colin.

[Colin]

No strings attached. If you go to siteforsound.com, nevin Eyewear is giving you free prescription glasses or sunglasses.

[Bo]

It's amazing, man. You fill out a quick little questionnaire, answer some questions. They will reach out to you via email and they will sort you out.

[Colin]

Straight up, no strings. Just have your prescription, get an eye exam, send them your prescription, tell them what band you're in or whatever you work with, and you're getting free glasses straight up or for prescription sunglasses. This is like a life changing program. We're so honored to work with them. There's no strings here. I cannot stress that enough. Just go to the website. Trust me.

[Bo]

Yeah, let's reiterate, because I've had people ask me, it doesn't matter if you're playing, driving, doing merch, teching, front of house monitors. You work at a venue. You're a promoter who does stuff a lot. Put in your info. They're gonna sort you out.

[Colin]

They just want to give back to the community that they're from. That's right. This is a small business owned by Corman. It's a for us, by us situation. So go to cyphersound.com, fill it out, get your free glasses. It's truly that simple.

[Bo]

That simple.

[Colin]

Click the link. Go. Description. Do it.

[Bo]

Can you see it?

[Colin]

Can you? Yeah. If you could even see. Can you tell me about the Vice shirt where you're making out with Scotto?

[Andrew Vacante]

Dude, why are you doing this? Why are you doing this?

[Colin]

Okay, someone has to.

[Andrew Vacante]

I don't even know how you're finding these things.

[Colin]

Is it a good shirt?

[Andrew Vacante]

No, it's terrible. I hate that guy.

[Colin]

How many did you make?

[Andrew Vacante]

I hate the guy that I'm kissing on the shirt.

[Colin]

Oh, you do?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Oh, that's.

[Andrew Vacante]

I hate the Majority of people who played in Vice, for the most part, besides a couple.

[Colin]

Oh, really? It's real beef.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean. Oh, you know, that's the time. That's a story for another time.

[Colin]

Sure, sure.

[Andrew Vacante]

So the shirt is just like a culmination of a bunch of other things that we were like. We just did this stupid idea that, like, got everyone mad. Let's do something to show that, like, they're wrong. And then we do another stupid thing that got everyone mad. So.

[Bo]

Huh.

[Andrew Vacante]

You know, okay. Never ending cycle of stupidity, you know.

[Colin]

But that's good.

[Bo]

That's how we learn little 101.

[Andrew Vacante]

The thing was, is, like, Vice was just kind of doomed from the start, really. And everything we did after that, you know, just made us always uphill.

[Colin]

You gotta kiss. Kiss a few frogs, you know, as.

[Andrew Vacante]

They say, to become.

[Colin]

So how does. How does Vice end? I. I hear that though. I heard that the last show was like, legendary.

[Andrew Vacante]

The last show was legendary. It was on Staten island. And the lineup is even crazy. It's like, it's Mind Force, Jukai, Trailer Lies, East Beast Maniac regularly was supposed to play, but they couldn't. Yeah. And it did. Like, instead, the show was on Staten Island.

[Colin]

Mind you, how does a band. How do other bands get to stand out?

[Andrew Vacante]

I mean, you should drive. You just like get in the car and drive there.

[Colin]

I thought it was isolated. I thought, it's not Hawaii in my mind.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's not Hawaii.

[Colin]

It's mowed it off.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's mowed it up.

[Colin]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

But there was like, people flew out to that shit.

[Colin]

Wow.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. I mean, yo, listen, Vice wasn't big by any means, but we had like this cult little following where people rode for us, you know? So I think that show did like 350 people in VFW. And for 2017, that was like incredible.

[Colin]

That's the dream.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

That was when hardcore was on life support.

[Colin]

So, yeah, straight up true. Those are the dark days.

[Andrew Vacante]

Like I said, it was just like years and years of touring, full us's and like a lot of stress and like a lot of pushback from people. And it's just like at one point you're like, where does. Like, we just gotta call it. And then. But really what. What it was was that me and the other original member, he was. He was the only other original member for the most part. We added like a revolving door of guitar players and drummers.

[Colin]

Sure.

[Andrew Vacante]

But he was like, he's like, yo, I'm gonna get this job for the city. And then Like, I'm done touring. And I was like, oh, that sucks. But okay, yeah, I get it. And then we.

[Colin]

Are you devastated as when Vice dies? Are you excited for the future?

[Andrew Vacante]

Well, he told me this on a tour, so I was like, well, because all I had going for me was at the moment was touring with Vice and the print shop that we own. So. And this was me and the bass player, James.

[Colin]

The print shop that you own? Yes, the basement.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yes.

[Colin]

James's basement evolved into the print shop that you own.

[Andrew Vacante]

Well, it wasn't a print shop, but I mean, like, we were doing the print. Yeah, I mean, we had like, we converted the basement into a print shop.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

We had the conveyor dryer. We had an eight color press. We had it all like, you know.

[Colin]

How long did that last?

[Andrew Vacante]

A couple years.

[Colin]

Wow.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. Yo, we were doing business, we were doing bands, we were doing like, local businesses. We were doing like wrestlers who, like, wrestled within the Tri Count. Like the Tri State area. Like, yeah. So that was all I really had. So when he said that, I was like, well, that sucks. But, like, what about the print shop? And he's like, yeah, no, it's all good. And then we get into a really big fight at the end of the last tour because the band that we went on tour with, we got into a fight, an altercation with them at the very end of the tour. Things were said, punches were thrown, things happen. Me and James, the bass player essentially stopped being friends. He sells back all the print equipment, doesn't tell me anything, and then we haven't been friends since.

[Bo]

So brutal.

[Andrew Vacante]

He plays the last show, you know, that's it. But yeah, you know.

[Colin]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

So, yeah, I was definitely bummed because it's all I knew for like mad long. That's all I did was just toy.

[Colin]

What did you do between. Between Vice and Combust?

[Andrew Vacante]

Great question. So before we, like officially stopped being friends, he was like. He was like, yo, I can get you in to this city job for dot. And I was like, okay, just tell me what I got to do after, like, after a couple months, like, after everything's like kind of more chill, you know, I'm like, yo, like, you left me with essentially nothing. Like, you took away the print, you took away the band. I got. I got nothing going on. All I got is part time jobs. I don't know what to do now. I'm playing in bands still, you know, Like, I play drums for another band. I play in another band.

[Colin]

Play drums?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, I play drums right now.

[Colin]

Yeah. Which band?

[Andrew Vacante]

This man, beg to differ from. From Queens. Yeah.

[Colin]

And then you play in Steamroll as well right now.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Great band.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. Thank you.

[Colin]

Anyway, keep going.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. So he's like, yo, I can get you in. Just. You need your cdl. And I was like, okay, I'll get my cdl. So I do all the studying. I do all the. All this, like, you know, what is the cdl? CDL is commercial driver's license.

[Colin]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

Like, people who drive, like, trucks, like big trucks and buses and.

[Colin]

Okay.

[Bo]

It's the. The truck that's bigger than the biggest truck you can get from U Haul. You know what I mean? Yeah. Essentially, like the next big one.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Bo]

I can't imagine doing that in a.

[Colin]

Big city in New York.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's. It. So, yeah, it gets stressful, for sure. So, I mean, that kind of. That's kind of like a segue into. Into what happens next. So I get all my shit, I pay for it. I take the test, I fail, but my instructor passes me anyway.

[Bo]

Nice.

[Andrew Vacante]

So then I'm like, yo, I got my cdl, bro. And then it's radio silence.

[Bo]

Ah.

[Andrew Vacante]

And I never get the job. So then, man. So then I'm like, yo, what do I do now? And then I have a homie who's a mechanic at some place in Staten island that's like a trucking company. He's like, you have your cdl. I can get you in. So this. This homie of mine gets me in, and then I become a truck driver for, like, the next five years.

[Bo]

What are you driving? What are you hauling that's so long? Wait, so wait, you actually were a truck driver?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Bo]

So that's true.

[Colin]

That's a great job.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, it was the union. Here's the thing about it. It was a cool job until it wasn't because the union. The union that I was in wasn't the official, like, truckers union. Like, it was. It was bullshit. It was like. It was a localized, like, private union. And they treated me like shit. And like I said, I was still playing in bands. I'm still going to shows, obviously, so. So, like, the whole time I'm like kind of, you know, always button heads of my boss because I'm like, oh, I'm gone for a weekend. I need Monday off. Or like, you know, this band is this. And, you know, and then, like, I just kind of get shafted all the time by my boss. They, they, they with me for hours. They me on my, like, what dump truck I'm using, blah, blah, blah. And then eventually Combust starts, and then that ties into that because then Kimbust does more and more stuff, and I'm asking for, like, work off a lot. I'm showing up late, you know, I'm not showing up at all.

[Colin]

Did you find out that your boss was James in a mustache and glasses?

[Andrew Vacante]

Would be a crazy plot twist, but, yeah.

[Colin]

No, you can't take the time off.

[Andrew Vacante]

So, yeah, that's okay.

[Colin]

So combust, you're the truck. You leave trucking behind.

[Andrew Vacante]

I get fire combustion. Yeah. I guess it's just. I should have lived with that. So, okay, I get fine, essentially. I'm coming in. I'm coming in one day I'm late. My boss is calling me. Mind you, it's 5:30am I'm on my way to work, and my boss is like, where are you? I'm like, Yo, I'm 10 minutes away. It's like, is the last time I'm dealing with your shit. Turn around. You're not coming in anymore. I was like, okay. But at the same time, another life just dropped.

[Colin]

Oh, this is. This is pretty deep.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Colin]

All right, so let's go back.

[Andrew Vacante]

Go back. Sorry.

[Colin]

So you're trucking for years.

[Bo]

Okay.

[Colin]

All right, let's. Let's get to the beginning of Combust.

[Andrew Vacante]

Okay.

[Colin]

How do you assemble this squad of people?

[Andrew Vacante]

Okay, so Vice breaks up. I'm in bands before, like. So when Vice stopped touring in 2015, I'm in other bands already. Like, I'm in, like, a punkish band that I play base in called Nerves In. It sucks. I'm in a band that's, like, trying to do a youth crew thing, but it sucks. And that's what my. My homie Ryan. I play drums in that. I even did, like, a converg Ish botch kind of band that I sang for called I disappeared.

[Bo]

Did you do, like, rap?

[Colin]

You didn't say it sucks.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, it did kind of suck, for sure. I mean, musically, it was leagues better than those other bands, but okay, you know, so all those bands break up. And I'm. I've just. I've always wanted to do a band like, in Bus. And the thing is, like, for New York City in the moment, the only bands that were represented in New York City are all, like, transplant bands. And it's not that I didn't like them, like, Countdown was one of those bands, but it was just like, yeah, 100%. I mean, one of the best demos in Madlon. But I always felt for years like, while this, there was a hole happening, you Know, that was like, there needs to be a band like, that's from New York City that people, you know. And I've had, like, ideas of doing a band like this forever. And then me and the drummer of Vice and who was also in Nerves, ended Impact with me. Me and him would talk all the time, like, yo, we got to do a band like this. We got to do a band like this. And I'm like, yo, I know I want. I know. I wanna, I wanna. And just the timeline never lined up until all those other bands just, like, stopped doing whatever. And I had the name Combust in my head for, like, years. And I was like, fault.

[Bo]

That was one of my next questions.

[Andrew Vacante]

Was who came up with the name? So, I mean, I was just like, what's. You know what, though?

[Colin]

You got a clean mind is what it is.

[Andrew Vacante]

You know what, though? When I heard To Bustle, I was like, that's a cool name.

[Colin]

I agree. Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

Because I think in Fire and Engine, you're twisted, perverted.

[Colin]

You're a good. You're a good Italian boy. Why would you ever. Why would your mind ever go there? 1. So is. Is the Combust that we know today the same group that started the band.

[Andrew Vacante]

So me and Dave are like. Like I said, Dave's the drummer of Combust. Me and Dave were like, yo, let's. Let's get it popping. And then I was like, well, I want to do stuff with people who weren't in Vice and Impact and Nerves, and I want to get, like, new people so fresh. We just have, like, you know, a whole homie group of people who would go to hardcore shows on Staten island that I've just known for a while. And Peter, the guitar player of Kimbus, just so happened to be one of those guys. But, like, he never been in a hardcore band before, but he was a homie, so. And he played guitar, and I was like, yo, you're good at guitar. Let's do a band. So. And then. And then I put out a tweet. I think I was like, who wants to play bass for the New York hardcore band? And then, ironically, the homie from Jersey responded, oh, so we got our homie Manny, and he was the original bass player.

[Colin]

Gotcha.

[Andrew Vacante]

And then. And then we wrote the demo.

[Colin]

When does Alex come in?

[Andrew Vacante]

The man, Alex comes in, like, two or three shows after, like, our first two or three shows. Because we were like some crazy technicality like, like, technical shit happened during one of our shows on Long island, and we were like, it would have been sick if we had, like, a second guitar player so we didn't have to just stop the whole thing.

[Bo]

Yeah, yeah, of course.

[Colin]

And little did you know what. What a secret weapon you had just.

[Andrew Vacante]

Included in your van, I guess.

[Colin]

Dude, in terms of, like, art that can be made for your band, Alex. I'll be scrolling through Instagram and I'll stumble upon some post from Alex, and he'll be like, hey, here's a few new things I just did. Here's some work. I did something for Nirvana, Nas, Green Day, Guns N Roses, no Doubt, ariana Grande, Notorious B.I.G. and Star Trek. Trek. Thanks for reading. Here's the Combust lp. Yeah, it's crazy. So what a secret weapon you got.

[Andrew Vacante]

So here's the thing. Yeah. Like, on paper, it sounds great for us, but, like, do you understand what I have to do to get him to do anything for us? It's.

[Colin]

Combust has to wait. Because Ariana Grande.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's more than a weight, man. It's. I mean, yeah, God bless him. Love the guy, but holy shit. He's got to be fair. He is very busy. But, like, yo, let me just put out. Let me just put out a blanket statement. Graphic designers are maybe the most annoying people to do business with of all time because they're.

[Colin]

Dude, they're so important. There's like.

[Andrew Vacante]

And that's what is annoying.

[Colin]

They make us.

[Andrew Vacante]

I know, bro.

[Colin]

We're nothing without them.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's so true. I need. I need this shirt design.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

I need it or I'm a dead man.

[Colin]

You don't understand.

[Bo]

I'll sit down and think, like, I'm going to design a shirt. I'm going to design a thing. And it's just like that David Attenborough clip of the Orangutan with the hammer and the nail. Like, I have no idea what I'm fucking doing.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yo, for real.

[Colin]

I don't know how they visualize it. Like, if they. They take my notes, right? That looks like a monkey with a pen in its ass just rolling around, yo, and they. And they make a beautiful shirt. It's unbelievable.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's funny because I'm like, a lot of the times, since we're. We're on tour so much now, a lot of the times I see him, he's, like, working all the time, and I see his process, and it's kind of cool, honestly, because, like, he'll be like, this is the email they gave me, and this is what I'm supposed to do with this. And I'm like, that's kind of Up.

[Colin]

And then now here's on a rocket.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, literally. And then he turns out some crazy respect guys got talent.

[Colin]

Good job, Alex. Good job. All graphic designers, we need you so much. Please don't get mad at us.

[Bo]

We don't mean.

[Colin]

Richie, if you're listening.

[Andrew Vacante]

Well, listen, I'm not saying I hate you. I'm just saying, like, you know, you're all great in your own respect too.

[Colin]

Good at what you do.

[Andrew Vacante]

I love the work that you do. But, you know, just like, just give me a break, you know?

[Colin]

Agreed. Did you find the Combust find it hard to get to like, get over in New York?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yes. Yeah, tell me about a thousand percent. So, I mean, not a lot of people realize, but, like, New York is not. Doesn't have a lot of bands like, now it does, but when Combust was starting, they were in like, and even before then for a long time, like, Vice was the only band for the most part, like, aside from, like, you had your, like, beat down scene or whatever. Like, line of scrimmage was still kind of playing when Vice was playing, but then they kind of like, phased out a little bit.

[Colin]

Yeah, I mean, Long island was entirely flying the flag for the. For the. For the state.

[Bo]

Which is so funny because to us as outsiders, Long island just is new. Like, you're saying this and I'm like, wait, but what about. And I have to remember.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, I'm talking specifically five Borough born. Born and raised people, you know, like, so it was just kind of like I said, like, at the time, the only bands that were existing in New York City were like a couple of transplant bands. So we necessarily weren't like the cool people either. You know what I mean? And so Combust started and it took. It took a long time for people to get on board, I'd say, like, for sure. Like, maybe when another life dropped was when people were really like. Then I really started noticing, like, okay, yeah, like, we're getting. We're getting flowers. But like. But even then, like, New York's scene was. I mean, hardcore was kind of like rough.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

Then. So the scene wasn't thriving in New York City like that at the time. It really wasn't. Unless it was bigger. It always had to be big.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

Small was not popping like that.

[Colin]

Sure.

[Bo]

I.

[Colin]

The first say, even now the big shit is really popping. The small shit is really popping. The medium sized shit kind of has a hard time.

[Bo]

Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. The first probably, I don't know, five or six times we ever played one of the boroughs. It's usually Brooklyn or Manhattan, I guess. Pretty rough, for sure.

[Andrew Vacante]

Really?

[Colin]

It alternates in quality to me.

[Andrew Vacante]

Well, what year would have. Would Harm's Way of played the first time?

[Bo]

2015 and prior. Like, I think the first time we actually even. I even saw you.

[Colin]

15. One was ass. We were there together.

[Bo]

I think the first time I even saw you, Andrew, was the Every time I Died Knocked Loose Harm's Way tour in Williamsburg.

[Andrew Vacante]

Oh, I remember that.

[Bo]

I'm pretty sure you were there. And that's when we started noticing, like, oh, things are getting sick. Yeah, things are getting good.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Bo]

That's obviously a bigger show.

[Andrew Vacante]

Well, Vice actually played with Harm's Way, I think in 2014 or 15 in New York, and the show was kind of beat. Sure.

[Bo]

Was it a. Was it like a warehouse show where the stage moving?

[Andrew Vacante]

No, it was like. It was like in a legit venue. I'm trying to remember.

[Bo]

Oh, wow. Oh, well.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Well, you played. Did Combust play the Richmond Date of life and death, 2017?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yes. Because we played with you guys, right?

[Colin]

Yes.

[Andrew Vacante]

But I remember. I don't think that was Life and Death, was it.

[Colin]

I don't know.

[Andrew Vacante]

I think it might have just been a too.

[Colin]

Oh, was it an off day on the Hapiary tour?

[Andrew Vacante]

It might have been.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Colin]

That's what it was.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

I remember vividly watching combustion being like, why is this good? Why is. Why is the first man so good right now?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, and then.

[Colin]

And then. And then talking to people about it and then being like, now they're new Staten island band. Don't worry about that.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, don't worry. Don't get.

[Colin]

But I really did, like, watch in real time, people figure out Combust and. And, like. And accept you.

[Andrew Vacante]

I think it was. I think it was a hard sell for a minute because, like, we don't have. We didn't really have, like, mosh pots. And like, that was kind of like, in that. In that era was like.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

A necessity, kind of. And at the end of the day, you want people to mosh to your band if you're awkward.

[Colin]

Absolutely.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. You know, I just think people were kind of having a hard time to understand where the mosh parts were, essentially. But, yeah, it was. I do remember that show. I think that was like, the first time we ever kind of talked.

[Colin]

Yeah, it was. I. Because I really. I loved the set and. And I was invested. I was invested in the future of Combust, the Tigers. The Void EP would be. Would be very quickly after that.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. So. So we did the demo at, like, the very end of 2017. And then we did like a two song promo in between that. And then we did the void in 2019.

[Colin]

Big debut opens with Tigers and Rats. I know rats are a big problem in New York. The Tigers of Staten island thing.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. Actually that song is about transplants, so. Yeah.

[Colin]

Cause how did the tigers get to New York in the first place?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, they came over on the plains and they got dropped there, you know.

[Colin]

Disgusting. Tell me about putting this record together. And. And the first couple of Combustors.

[Andrew Vacante]

Our drummer Dave had like a. Had an apartment. He was living on Staten island still. Before he moved to Brooklyn. He had an apartment where like it was a loft apartment. And he had. He had essentially made the living room of his apartment like a practice space. So a lot of the writing for that kind of existed in that space. And yeah, that was a. That was like a big group effort. 1. I'd say me, Peter and Manny and Dave like definitely did a lot. A lot of it was like I was super into trying to merge like essentially like kind of trying to do what. What a lot of the Iceman shit, you know, I was. I was digging up like, you know, a lot of slight, like very early Slayer influence, Celtic Frost stuff. And then, and then I look, I look back at it, I'm like. I think we overstepped it a little bit. It got like too metal.

[Colin]

But I do think you. You really, you started to find the. The identity that you've even. Even had. Like I ab that with Belly and the Belly of the Beast today. And like you kind of had it figured out right away. Like the shredding is really cool. And I'm really just getting like best wishes type crossover from. From the whole thing. So I do think the. The intention was there the whole time.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. 100. I mean, like I said, I think. I think it was a time actually the. The timeline in my brain was like, how do I. Because I've never written actual music for bands until Combust.

[Colin]

Wow.

[Andrew Vacante]

Like, I never picked up a guitar and tried to write a riff until Kimbus started. So I guess my mind was kind of going like, how do people write? You know, I mean. And you gotta realize I'm a little older at this time, so I'm kind of like relearning. So it's like I'm in my head as I'm playing guitar and trying to learn guitar and get better. I'm kind of like, how do. I'm just kind of picking everyone's brains. How do you write like where do you pull from the get?

[Colin]

7, 5, 7, 8, 7, 5, 7. So that's what we do, baby.

[Andrew Vacante]

So when, when I kind of piece it together, I was like, yo, a lot of, a lot of these bands are just kind of like stealing old metal shit. But I think I always knew that. But I think as a, when I became more of a writer, I was like, oh, that's where they put. So that's why I think on the, on the Void, it shines. It shines in way more because I was just like. A lot of that to the front.

[Colin]

You just got into stealing riff.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, yeah, essentially.

[Colin]

I mean, hey, understandable once you find your box. My box.

[Andrew Vacante]

You know, I think I asked, when can bus play with Killing Time? I said, I got, I met them for the first time. I said, yo, I got, you know, we're really big fans. And they go, yeah, we could tell. And I was like, fuck. I was like, yo, the question I asked was, how did you write Bright side? I asked Carl. I said, how did you write Bright side? It's like, because it's essentially nothing I've ever heard.

[Colin]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

You know, it's, it still is like that to me. He's like, I was just a punk kid getting into hardcore music and I loved Slayer and Celtic Frost and Iron Maiden. And I was like, I mean, yeah, that all shines through when you hear them tell you about that in that way.

[Colin]

You know, Celtic Frost is like, is like secretly the band that shaped New York hardcore 110%.

[Bo]

Fucking crazy.

[Colin]

Sheer terror is just, I mean, that is really fast. Celtic Frost, right? That's awesome. What was the first time you guys went to Europe?

[Andrew Vacante]

First time in Europe was after another life. So 2022.

[Colin]

We'll get there. Tell me about the. You guys spent Covid making a bunch of singles.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, so actually, hold on, I gotta take this sweater off.

[Colin]

Tell me about all the singles you wrote over Kobe.

[Andrew Vacante]

So, so we did, we did the, the Templars cover and the Fear cover and then we did Missing piece. Right. Am I missing anything?

[Colin]

I think you nailed it.

[Andrew Vacante]

I mean, that was just essentially out of boredom. And I was like, well, we can't, can't do anything, so may as well just like put some stuff out and so people know that we're not dead, essentially. But I was working all during COVID I, I, yeah, I was in an essential worker. So, yeah, you know, hey, dude, on.

[Colin]

Top of that, no PPP for you, no sad. Me neither, man.

[Andrew Vacante]

So, yeah, just working my ass off and waking up at 4am but we should have.

[Colin]

We should have frauded more there. We could have all had so much fraud.

[Andrew Vacante]

We up, man.

[Colin]

I know.

[Andrew Vacante]

But also, in the time of the singles, in the time of the singles, we were just also writing another life, okay? So we had so much free time. Since we weren't doing. Me and Peter would. Me and Peter, the guitar player can bus, would just meet up at the practice room almost every day and just hash out riffs. I would get on drums, he would play guitar, and we were just like. If we had riffs written, we would bring them in and just hash it out. Hit me and him, like, every day.

[Bo]

Six feet apart, for sure.

[Andrew Vacante]

Oh, 100.

[Bo]

Yeah. Of course.

[Andrew Vacante]

I had the mask I had. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Bo]

Okay.

[Colin]

Beautiful.

[Bo]

Well, that's good. How long. How long did, like, that process take with all that time?

[Colin]

Debut lp. It felt like you spent on this.

[Andrew Vacante]

It felt like a long time. I mean, yo, we did take a long time, so. So we started writing for it immediately after the Void, I want to say so. And then Covid happened. So then we were like, we have all this time. Let's just dial it in. That was a very daunting thing to me, honestly. I've never written an lp. Like, with me writing an lp.

[Colin]

It is daunting.

[Andrew Vacante]

Dude. Yeah, I was. I was kind of, like, in my head about it a lot, and I was playing cards one day with Connor. Connor Jones, and I was kind of, like, showing him riffs, and he was like, oh, you know, because we were homies. And he was telling me about how he's gonna start Cash Only. And I essentially just wanted to pick his brain because I respect the way that dude writes a song. And I was, like, showing him riffs, a bunch of riffs. And I was like, yo, what would you do, like, next year? Like. Like, put, like, point me in the direction. Like, I suck at this. Like, help me, you know? So then he was just like. As he was giving me little notes, he was like, why don't I. Why don't I just come to the studio and just, you know, chill and we can jam and you guys can, like, hash out stuff and we could, you know, figure it out like that. And I was like, cool. And then that evolved into, why don't we put this out on Cash Only? And then that evolved into him being like, yo, I want to be, like, really hands on with this record.

[Colin]

So he produced it, essentially.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, he did. So he would come to practices now, he would just, like, sit in, and we would show him the Song that we have, and he'd essentially be like, what if you did this here instead of there? And then me and him would kind of, like, chill at his apartment and kind of like, think about rhythms of vocals and, you know, just a bunch of, like that. So cool. And that was my first ever experience having someone outside of your band come in and do shit with you. It was very foreign to me. Yeah, I thought it was cool and necessary.

[Bo]

Honestly, it's like, kind of not invasive, but, like, kind of intimate, but ultimately so nice, I think.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, it. No, 100%, it is cool. But like you said, it's like, it is very hard to show someone your work and be like, yo, pick this apart now.

[Bo]

Yeah. You know, please be nice.

[Colin]

Destroy this and make it something else.

[Andrew Vacante]

You definitely destroyed a couple of things.

[Colin]

It happens.

[Andrew Vacante]

The track why I Hate was a whole nother song.

[Colin]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

Until it became that. So.

[Colin]

So tell me about the reception to the record. This is when you kind of feel like things turn around.

[Andrew Vacante]

So the reception of the record was cool. And like I said at the time, I was still working, so there was no. There was no thing in my mind where it was like, I. Like in my head where I'm too. Too pressed about how people are reacting to it. You know what I mean? Because I'm like, yeah, like, whatever. We're just playing shows and having fun. It's cool.

[Bo]

When did it come out?

[Andrew Vacante]

2022.

[Bo]

Okay. So lockdowns were more or less pretty much done. Yeah, shows were. Shows were definitely happening by that time. So you were able to. Because I feel like if you put it out during the. The actual lockdowns and everything, it's kind of.

[Andrew Vacante]

It was just. Yeah, it would just get buried. No one.

[Colin]

Yeah. No. Mad Ball ended lockdowns in 2021, that ball decided lockdowns were over. I mean, they really took. They really took the heat for everybody.

[Andrew Vacante]

They really. They really did. Respect. I mean, dope show.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Yeah, it looked awesome.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

The symbolism of doing it at Tompkins, again, just the coolest thing, honestly.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

So how. How quickly are you. Are you seeing, like, how positive is this response? Is it. Does it feel like. Okay, we've. We've. We've actually really done something that's connecting.

[Andrew Vacante]

No, I mean, in. In real time, when you put it out, all you can do is kind of just like, look at the comments. Right. I mean, that's always the worst. Yeah. So, no, it seemed like people at the time, I was like, okay, cool. People are sharing it. People seem to like it. It's cool. And then we did the record release and that was the first time where we had, like, people singing the words, like, straight up Osbo, you know, for. For a Combust set. And I remember, I think, looking at Peter during the set and I was like, oh, we did it.

[Bo]

That's cool.

[Andrew Vacante]

They like it. They actually like it.

[Colin]

And was that your first real taste of, like, hardcore post pandemic as well?

[Andrew Vacante]

I mean, we were playing shows. We were playing show. I mean, once lockdown ended, we would like, immediately. Yeah, we were like, yo, I need to fucking play a show. I was. I was one of those people where it's like, I'm gonna fucking play the show. I don't care.

[Colin]

I don't care.

[Andrew Vacante]

So we played at Gold Sounds for the first. Our first show back was at Gold Sounds and that show was cool. Show was really cool. But yeah, we definitely played a lot of other stuff too. But then the record release was definitely the. The point where I was like, okay, cool. People like it.

[Colin]

Gotcha.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. And then we went to Europe.

[Colin]

Tell me about that.

[Bo]

Yeah, let's. Let's. Was this your first time in Europe, period?

[Andrew Vacante]

First time ever.

[Colin]

Walk me through it. Who booked it? Who was it with? Tell me, tell me, tell me Some. Some positive tales and some tales of terror.

[Andrew Vacante]

So the first. The first time was with Mastermind, a band that broke up now.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

And Big shout out. Hola, Free. Hola.

[Colin]

Of course, straight up.

[Andrew Vacante]

She booked the whole fucking thing for us.

[Colin]

Wow. Fucking absolute legend.

[Andrew Vacante]

Got everything sorted out, made sure all of our paperwork was good. Everything for it, like, sorted everything out.

[Colin]

Ola is a key figure in UK hardcore and is currently in prison as one of what is now known as the Filton 18, a group of actionists imprisoned for allegedly interfering with an Israeli drone factory, but without any charges. There's another trial next month and we hope she and Quality Control are back safe and sound soon.

[Andrew Vacante]

It was all very crazy for me, I think I was like, I've never really been on a plane to that. That long in general. And I've never seen outside of the country for the most part, besides Canada at the time.

[Colin]

So you never went back to the old country?

[Andrew Vacante]

No, never have. Until bus started touring.

[Colin]

So do you have. Do you have family? Any family there?

[Andrew Vacante]

No family there, but there are places in Naples named after my great, great, great, great grandfather. So that's where my.

[Bo]

My family's from, Naples.

[Andrew Vacante]

Respect. Paison.

[Colin]

I feel like Bo is Italian. Andrew is Italian.

[Bo]

Yeah. Well, I'm very.

[Andrew Vacante]

You're not one Hundred. Are you?

[Bo]

No, I'm very Medellan. Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

Well, yeah. So my.

[Bo]

My. My great grandmother was born in Naples. So it's that far removed. That's from there.

[Andrew Vacante]

But not both sides of your family are Italian.

[Bo]

No, sir.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. So you're not. You're not in the club. I'm sorry.

[Colin]

He's also Irish.

[Andrew Vacante]

I mean, that's like. Yo. That is the typical Staten island combo.

[Colin]

The Montagues and the Capulets everywhere. So tell me about. All right, tell me about this. Walk me through. Walk me through your mind.

[Andrew Vacante]

So, yeah, I mean, we fly into UK, first thing I see is probably a McDonald's. You know, I'm. You know I'm getting McDonald's when I fly in. I never tasted McDonald's outside of America. It was pretty dope. Oh, I was like, really? And I was being really annoying about trying to see the Winchester pub from Shaun of the Dead.

[Bo]

Oh, and dude. Oh, the Winchester.

[Colin]

It's just the Witherspoons now, right?

[Bo]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

So I took everyone to the wrong place, and it wasn't where it was. So we walked like mad far in, like, at 1am in UK to stumble upon a place that didn't exist. That happened. Then we started playing the shows. You know, getting over the borders were, like, mad funny, too.

[Colin]

Sucks.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, it really did suck. They're mad annoying, bro, the border people. Yeah, they really are.

[Colin]

Oh, they're. They're. It's the. It's the one ounce of power that they have. Yeah, they're gonna flex it on you.

[Bo]

And it's only behind that desk, too.

[Andrew Vacante]

So the dude who was driving us, I think, was driving for the very first time. He's. He's our big homie now. A little. A little German man shout out to driver. Shout. Sebastian. Yeah.

[Colin]

Nice taking Hungarian jobs. But, yeah, I know. I support it. It's okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

But we, I guess, forgot to get a stamp in the place that we went before.

[Colin]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

And then we go to the. The border in Sweden. I know. I'm sorry. In Switzerland.

[Bo]

Had to be Switzerland. It's always Switzerland, dude.

[Andrew Vacante]

And he's looking at the itinerary and of all the stuff and. And he's. He's looking at the. He's. He looks at us and he goes, you didn't get stabbed for the other place. And I'm like, well, I'm. I was like, what? I didn't even know. He had to. And he's like, you smuggled. And I'm like, excuse me? He goes, you smuggled that? We smuggled all this stuff because we didn't get the correct stamps.

[Colin]

You smuggled. Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

I'll never forget this. You smuggled.

[Colin]

When in reality, it's that Checkpoint's fault 100% for not saying, hey, you need this stamp.

[Bo]

We had a very similar thing where we didn't get the stamp of. Of, you know, driving to Switzerland. So when he's looking, he said, well, how did you get here? I said, we drove. And he straight up was like, you drove from France? It was like, yeah.

[Colin]

How far is that drive?

[Bo]

It's like eight hours, dude. It's like. It's like nothing. Like, what are you talking about?

[Colin]

Completely reasonable drive.

[Bo]

And we were trying to go home. I'm trying to leave.

[Colin]

Yeah, just let me out, dude.

[Andrew Vacante]

Dude, that's. That's insane.

[Bo]

They're the worst. So what did you find? Who. Who's the tour with?

[Andrew Vacante]

The tours with this band, Mastermind, who is now. Yeah. And the guitar player of the band, Rory, is now singing for that band. Imposter.

[Bo]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Bo]

So how are the shows? How do they. How'd you find them?

[Andrew Vacante]

The shows were sick. Wow. I mean, going to Italy for the first time, also incredible.

[Bo]

Where'd you go?

[Andrew Vacante]

What's up?

[Bo]

Where'd you play in Italy?

[Andrew Vacante]

Padova. In, like, an outdoor, like, square. Just like a. Literally just like the outside of a.

[Colin]

Was it. Was it lit?

[Andrew Vacante]

Dude, I mean, it wasn't like a great HC show, but there were kids just going off and it was cool.

[Colin]

And like, you're in Italy with you.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, dude, I. Like, I. Honestly, you could have put me in a filled barrel and told me to play in that, and I would have been fine. I'm in Italy. I don't care.

[Bo]

What time did the show start?

[Andrew Vacante]

Probably like 11pm 10pm is some.

[Colin]

I get you.

[Andrew Vacante]

And everything is closed.

[Colin]

What are some other highlights from. From that first trip?

[Andrew Vacante]

So we played Fluff Fest.

[Bo]

Ah.

[Colin]

And that was Fluff Fest. Ah, we know all about that.

[Andrew Vacante]

I have some stories about this. Honestly, if I can get into them.

[Bo]

Please.

[Colin]

My ears are fluffed. Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

So we actually. We ran out of merch by the time we hit Fluff Fest.

[Colin]

Good problem.

[Andrew Vacante]

And we had to. Yeah, you know, I don't want to find that, but. So we were, like, scrambling to find someone to. To print us a re up of. And someone linked us in with someone in the Czech Republic or some. So we got. We got it sorted. Right. And then we get there, and as you know, Fluff Fest is just like an open field.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

And it's huge.

[Bo]

Huge.

[Andrew Vacante]

It takes like a half hour to traverse the whole fucking place.

[Colin]

So.

[Andrew Vacante]

So the people who did the merch was like, hey, we left it at X tent and go see blah, blah blah. And I was like, bro, where would I find that? Like, yeah, there's. No one's, no one here is going to tell me where that is. No one speaks English.

[Colin]

They also hate you.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, yeah, they definitely hate me. Yeah, no one speaks English. It like, I'm freaking out. There's a line forming. They're like, yo, you know, again, cool problem to have, but like, that's a great problem. I'm freaking out now.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

And I'm like, yo, like, where is the. Finally get it. Finally track it down after, like, I have to get our German speaking driver friend to go talk to this guy. Get this guy, he's got to go to the other tent. Blah, blah, blah, whatever. Finally get it. Pull out the shirts. They are printed to. They look terrible. So bad.

[Colin]

You would know.

[Bo]

Yeah. Are you kind of. Are you picky about.

[Andrew Vacante]

Oh, I'm like, I'm the motherfucker that's.

[Bo]

Like, yeah, yeah, yeah, you should be.

[Andrew Vacante]

They are. They look horrible. Like, to the point where anyone who doesn't even know about printing would be like, what the is up with that? To the point where the people who are buying, like, can you give me a different one? Because this one is like, it's. It's bad.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

So that's what we had for the rest of the tour. And they, they, this place emails us. I don't even remember who this was, to be honest with you. They email us and they're like, yo, so for payment, I'm like, I go, yo, I gotta tell you something, man. Like, I'm just not paying you.

[Colin]

And it's the worst job I've ever seen.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. And I was like, it was so bad. To the point where we lost money like, because we couldn't sell any of this. These shirts are com busted and they, they email. It kind of becomes an email war where I'm like, you need to get do something to do right by me. Or like, that's it. And they're like, they come back with some like, like not even like any money off, like barely any. So I respond, I said, I'm not paying you. You can take me to small claims court in Prague. And then I blocked them.

[Colin]

Nice.

[Andrew Vacante]

So. So.

[Colin]

And then.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, so we just.

[Colin]

Judge Shruti emailed you or what?

[Andrew Vacante]

No, I never heard from them again. It was, bro, it was like, it was like Less than a thousand dollars of a merch printing job.

[Colin]

Oh, well. Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

What's.

[Colin]

I mean that was just. They gotta just eat it. They're not you.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, yeah.

[Colin]

Listen, there's a risk with that line of work.

[Bo]

You it up listening too. Sometimes you'll get shirts that are. That like there's mistakes or whatever. Those typically get taken off the bill 100%.

[Andrew Vacante]

That is the usual. That is the usual course of business. You were. These guys were not even trying to do right.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Colin]

So nine out of 10 print shops, if they feel they've done a bad job after the fact, will just not charge you 100%.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

So bad luck. Well, you know, after that played the Fluff Fest set. It was awesome.

[Colin]

That is one thing that is. No matter what you're dealing with while you're there or getting there around it, the set's going to be.

[Bo]

Yeah, we both had great sets at Fluff Fest. We played the Fluff Fest was cool.

[Andrew Vacante]

No, no disfellow fest there. I. I feel you asked like highlights. I think there were a lot of highlights on that tour for sure. But like there's one that really sticks out. And it was. We played Cologne and it was like one of echo chambers first shows too.

[Colin]

Nice.

[Andrew Vacante]

And that was the show where I really was like. Because that show, everyone knew the words wow. And like they were fucking up the lights and like, yo, it was just. It was something I haven't really experienced on that level yet. And it was the hottest show I've ever played. Like. Like Dave was ringing out his shirt in the back. Like just. It was disgusting. I had a cornball moment for sure. And like I went to Peter after the show and we were outside and like, I just looked at him like that. Like that's what this. Like. Like this is not for nothing. Because that meant so much. Like, I was almost like, you know, on the verge of tears, bro. It was cool, man. Like, I never thought that I would be in Germany and that many people would care about something that I did, you know? I mean.

[Colin]

I mean, you've been playing music since middle school, you know, this is. This is 12, 13 years later.

[Bo]

And yeah, 12, 13, 000 miles away, you know?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. It's just. It was an overwhelming feeling for sure. And it was like I was like, yo, that's. That's what it all meant. Like, that's what it was all adding up to, you know. So was. That was like the cool moment for sure.

[Colin]

Cologne, Germany.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. Respect to Cologne, Germany.

[Bo]

There's a. It's Western Germany. There's a lot of air bases and stuff there, so I think English is super common there. I bet you that helps. You know what I mean?

[Andrew Vacante]

Oh, yeah. I mean, not everyone I know from Cologne is like super fluent in English.

[Bo]

Yeah, it's crazy.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Bo]

That's awesome.

[Colin]

So, I mean, that's a. That's a pivotal moment for any band. This episode is brought to you by Mad Vintage.

[Bo]

Hey, Colin, where'd you get that shirt?

[Colin]

M A D D. Vintage dot com.

[Andrew Vacante]

Wow.

[Colin]

Yeah. That's all you got to do. You go to this website, you. You listen to a band that we talk about on our show. He's got you covered. You're going to find the shirts you've been looking for your entire life. And this is. We're passionate about this.

[Bo]

It's one of our favorite aspects of the thing that we're into. And it's important to note Luke over at Mad Vintage, he's looking to buy, he's looking to trade. He wants to see what you got. He's. You know, you have things you haven't worn in a long time in that.

[Colin]

Closet and you might sell them to him and see him on this show someday. So let's hurry it up. Hit him up. I want him. Our closets are full, so please get the stuff before we do.

[Bo]

I can't take anymore.

[Colin]

No, that's code hard 15 for 15% off mad vintage. Back to the episode. So when. When have you gone back?

[Andrew Vacante]

Since we haven't been able to have like a proper cologne show since.

[Colin]

And it's to Europe, I mean.

[Andrew Vacante]

Oh, to Europe. Yeah, we did. We did Europe, I think six times now.

[Bo]

Holy.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Bo]

That's a lot in such a short period.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, we did Europe. The next thing was. Was with Risk it.

[Colin]

We've all been there with Risk it. Shout out. Risk it.

[Andrew Vacante]

Then the next thing was we went out for like two days to do that Revolution Calling festival. Then we did a run with Spy. Nice. Then we did.

[Colin]

How was that?

[Andrew Vacante]

It was supposed to be originally with End It.

[Colin]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

They didn't get their tickets, so it. The tour was good, the shows were awesome, but the driver that we were supplied with was going to murder us. So I was on the. The edge of, like, panic the whole tour. Like, he was such a terrible driver, bro.

[Colin]

Where is he from?

[Andrew Vacante]

Portugal.

[Colin]

And I don't know anything about the Portuguese driving habits. I know the Hungarians are good.

[Bo]

They're good.

[Andrew Vacante]

So I gotta. I mean, I gotta get into this because it's. This is insane.

[Colin]

So.

[Andrew Vacante]

So we get there, we fly in, we meet the guy. He's like a mad young kid, like very young. And we're. We're all just like shooting the. With him and we're like, oh, you know, how many bands have you drove? How long you've been doing this? Blah, blah. He's like, never. I've never done this. And we were like, oh. It was like, what do you drive when you're home? And he's like, I don't drive. I take the. I take public transportation. I'm like, okay, your life, Your life.

[Colin]

Is in his hands every day.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yes. So he also is terrible at driving stick because he doesn't know how to do it. He's essentially learning how to drive stick in this van, like the whole time that we're playing that we're on tour and it gets off to the worst possible start ever. He. He doesn't know how to merge lanes. People are running him off the road. They're honking at him. Everyone's like, our drummer and our guitar player. Pete and Dave are up in the front with him, essentially teaching him how to drive. They're like, yo, you need to wait for him to go so you can go.

[Colin]

Like, who booked this and hired this man?

[Andrew Vacante]

Martine Stronger. Wow.

[Colin]

Has he worked since?

[Andrew Vacante]

The driver?

[Colin]

The driver.

[Andrew Vacante]

Well, we'll get to that at the end. Okay, so. So then, like, dude, Eric is a very calm, cool person. He doesn't freak out ever. He has. He has a high threshold for bullshit. There was one point where, like, he needed to. The driver needed to make. This guy's name is Shark, by the way. Shark.

[Colin]

Shark.

[Andrew Vacante]

Sick.

[Colin]

Come on. It's not sick, Bo.

[Bo]

It's pretty sick.

[Andrew Vacante]

He had to.

[Colin]

You can't not drive and be named Shark, dude.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's not.

[Bo]

That's true. That's true.

[Colin]

You got to be a driving wizard to be Shark, dude.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's yo. It. So he had to make like this 100 point turn to get to. To the. Like to line up with the gas pump.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Colin]

And you guys are going, shark.

[Andrew Vacante]

Eric. Eric. Eventually, like, as he's still in the midst of trying to make this turn, Eric gets out. Just gets out. He goes, I gotta get the out of here. And he, like walks away. I follow Eric. I'm like, I can't do this either. And then so the guy, the guy Shaw comes up to me. I turn around, he's like, he followed me. And I go, what? I'm like, what, bro? He's like, they told me to ask you how to do this. And I'm like, bro, I said, you need to get the away from me or there's going to be a problem. So we're freaking out on this guy. He's been hitting the whole time. He's been hitting into fences, parked cars. He's been a mess the whole tour. Finally get that out of the way.

[Bo]

Whatever.

[Andrew Vacante]

We're back on the road.

[Colin]

Okay?

[Andrew Vacante]

This was. This was the pivotal turning point.

[Bo]

Oh, my God.

[Andrew Vacante]

Everything, every. Like, it all hits the fan. So we're in the back. Me and Eric are in the back. Me and Eric are in the back. We're on this night drive to Italy out of nowhere. Like, you hear it like a. Just like a. Like a. You know, he hit something. He dinged something. We're on the highway, but, like, we're still driving. This dude starts screaming at the top of his lungs while driving. Still. He's just going. And me, I. I can't even get through it. Me and Eric just look at each other. We're in the back. We look at each other and just start bursting out laughing. Because at this point, we're just like, what the is even going on anymore? So it turns out he hit a deer. And he's so distraught about it because he was, like, a vegan guy, I guess.

[Colin]

Shark. Why?

[Bo]

And you can't be named Shark and be vegan, I'll tell you.

[Colin]

That's what I'm saying, dude.

[Andrew Vacante]

So we get to the hotel. The van is total, by the way. He clipped it in such a way that it up one of, like, the. You know, whatever, and it's leaking, and we're not gonna make it.

[Bo]

What kind of van was it?

[Andrew Vacante]

It's like one of those, like, little shitty bucket vans, you know?

[Bo]

Yeah, yeah. Okay.

[Colin]

Like, not a sprinter.

[Andrew Vacante]

Not a sprinter.

[Bo]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

Peter pulls me inside. Also a very calm guy. Does nothing but smoke weed. Peter pulls me to the side. When we get to the hotel, he's like, yo, if we don't get a new driver, I'm flying home tomorrow. I'm not gonna die in Europe straight up.

[Colin]

Which is, like, so fair.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, exactly. I said, yep. I know. You're right. We call up Martine. We're trying to figure it out. We were on tour with Spy and Mine War.

[Bo]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

And mine was from Germany. Yes. And one of the guys in Mine War used to drive for bands. So we're like, okay, we're gonna meet up with the van people.

[Colin]

Mm.

[Andrew Vacante]

We're gonna get a new van. Then we're gonna.

[Colin]

We're gonna kill Shark.

[Andrew Vacante]

We're gonna. Yeah, we're gonna fire Shark when we get to Venice. Sure. And I mean Vienna. And you're gonna drive the rest of the tour. It's like. Yeah, it's fine, dude. You gotta do. I'll do that. No problem. Go to Vienna. He almost gets us hit by a train. I'm not kidding. He, like, almost did not stop in time for when the thing was coming down and the train was coming. Like, he almost hit the fucking train. Like, let me not. Okay, so anyway, sure. So, Shark, so we finally get to. To the venue after he makes, like, 10 million wrong turns. This guy sucks. We get to the venue, we're like, yo, you're done. Like, that's it, man. I'm sorry. Like, Martine's gonna figure out getting you home. You gotta go, it's it. And he goes, I'm so relieved. I'm like, what? And he's like, I've just been having a terrible time. I don't know what I'm doing. You guys are mad at me. And I'm like, yeah, we're mad at you, dude, because you're gonna kill us.

[Colin]

So you suck.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, you gotta go.

[Colin]

You're the worst shark in the world.

[Andrew Vacante]

So we finish out the tour, he hits us up and he goes, haven't received my payment with the tour. I said, yo, Martine's gonna handle that. Then he hits up Martine and he's like, yo, I'm not paying you, dude. He's like, you did way. Like, just.

[Colin]

You total the van.

[Andrew Vacante]

Like, yeah, yeah, you're fucked, bro. And then he goes, I'm taking you guys to court. I go, okay, fine. We still never heard from him in.

[Colin]

A million years to judge. Rudy is coming.

[Andrew Vacante]

So basically this story ends with us having, like, mad Euro cases open against us, I guess. But.

[Colin]

Yeah, well, six times, no actual case. Pretty good.

[Andrew Vacante]

Pretty good.

[Colin]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

Oh, wait, I left one. One part out. I'm sorry. We were in Italy. Storm, torrential downpouring. He couldn't park the van. He couldn't figure out how to get the van into the parking lot. So he's like, I'm gonna park right here. It's on a down hit, like the biggest hill I've ever been on in my life.

[Bo]

This.

[Andrew Vacante]

This hill may as well have been 90 degrees.

[Colin]

He.

[Andrew Vacante]

He parks it in the middle of the storm, and we're all just trying to get in the hotel so we can get in and not get soaked. Whatever. She's this close to a Beamer right in front of him. Right. And we're like, bro, you're not getting out of this spot in the morning. But I'm so tired. I'm not. I'm washing my hands of it and just going to bed.

[Bo]

Yeah, yeah, we went to bed. Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

We get up, we assess the. The that we're in, and we're like spies coming out. We're like, yo, can you get your driver to like, help us get this thing out? And he's like, yeah, yeah, no problem. We had to take out all the equipment from the back and put it on the side of the street. So, like, because it. Since it's, you know, it's a stick, it'll.

[Bo]

It'll.

[Colin]

If it was in drive for one second.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, it was gonna smash this. We had to like, hold it as the guy puts it in gear. And he got. And he got it out, so. But Shark was like. Shark was like, I am. I would have never been able to done that.

[Colin]

Yeah, we know.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, we know, pal.

[Bo]

Makes it makes you wonder how. How would he have been on water? I wonder.

[Colin]

No good.

[Andrew Vacante]

Maybe drowned immediately.

[Bo]

Maybe he's amazing.

[Andrew Vacante]

No, I highly doubt.

[Colin]

Not a chance.

[Andrew Vacante]

I don't think this guy is really, like there for anything.

[Colin]

Like, I don't think he's even a shark at all.

[Andrew Vacante]

I'm starting to think you're not a shark.

[Colin]

Wow. Thank you for the tales of shark. That was amazing. So last time you went, was that this year or last year?

[Andrew Vacante]

Like the end of last year.

[Colin]

Is it as it. Has it improved for you since?

[Andrew Vacante]

So it was improving the whole time, I'd say, but okay. The thing about the last tour we did was that it was a whole new market for us because it was. It was the Terror a nasty bus tour.

[Colin]

Right?

[Andrew Vacante]

So that's like. When you play with Terror out there, you're playing like concerts, you know what I mean? Compared to what we were playing 100. So it was like a whole new ball game, for sure.

[Colin]

So how was that experience? Bus. Bus Fives, dude.

[Andrew Vacante]

With.

[Colin]

You're with the two biggest rock bands in Europe, dude.

[Andrew Vacante]

Number one. Being on tour. Terror is incredible.

[Colin]

The best.

[Andrew Vacante]

Being on a bus is even more incredible because I was so used to not being able to see shit. But the bus, that changes up the whole fucking joint. You can get out. You're there in the morning. You get out, you explore the whole town all day. You go back. I do hate soundcheck.

[Bo]

Yep.

[Andrew Vacante]

And I hate a scheduled load in.

[Bo]

But you need to be at soundcheck. You're.

[Andrew Vacante]

You're free so annoying, though.

[Colin]

They don't need you.

[Andrew Vacante]

They don't need, like, I don't need to sound check.

[Colin]

Anybody can go, right?

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Straight up and they'll have it, you know.

[Bo]

When you're in Europe, are you doing, like, crowd work to get the crowds going on these concerts? You know what I mean?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yes.

[Bo]

Kind of gotta. You gotta.

[Andrew Vacante]

But it doesn't. My kind of crowd work doesn't translate well. So at one point, Chris Link were like, yo, let's just do Rick to lifeisms and see how that goes. So there was a couple shows at the tail end where I was just like, creepy crawly, old school pylon brotherhood unity. And they loved it.

[Colin]

Oh, they know those words.

[Andrew Vacante]

So that's all I said, the whole set.

[Colin]

Rick is. Rick is on to something.

[Andrew Vacante]

So, like, yo, for all the bands that are gonna be in Europe, that's the cheat code, bro. Just say a bunch of that shit.

[Colin]

Keep it simple.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yep.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Keep it universal. And Pylon's brotherhood is universal language.

[Andrew Vacante]

Like, my usual banter of my, you know, very, very disturbing brain is not going to translate well to people who don't really speak English. So, you know, there was a lot. There was a lot of shows where it was like, yeah.

[Bo]

Oh, my God.

[Colin]

Have any Europeans hit you with the Cumbust thing?

[Andrew Vacante]

No, they haven't. And I'll tell you another thing that I've never experienced. I haven't experienced the bluntness either.

[Colin]

No, really?

[Bo]

Oh, really?

[Andrew Vacante]

The only thing we experienced was from another source where someone went to the Headbuster table during our set and they were wearing a nasty shirt. And they said to them, this band is so not heavy that they should kill themselves.

[Bo]

Was that in Germany?

[Andrew Vacante]

It was in Portugal. Wow.

[Colin]

They heard what you did to Shark?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, yeah, it must have been a shark, homie.

[Colin]

Honestly, Straight up, dude. One of the minnows in the. In the pool. Damn. So what's the dynamic like in combust in 2025? You know, you've been a band for seven years now. Pretty much.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

You got you. You're about to put out your second LP at this time.

[Bo]

At this time, right?

[Colin]

How's everybody feeling?

[Andrew Vacante]

I mean, well, now we tour, like, at this point, so we tour so much, you know, and we're just kind of like. We're just kind of amped on everything. Cause I, again, I think all of us have never been used to being in a band that people actually fuck with. So it's like, yo, this is great. And I think another thing is that it kind of lined up, like, very, very. It was just like, holy alignment of. You know, like, because I got fired and then Combust put out the record, and then we started getting all these, like, offers to do shit. That was cool. And I was like, yeah, I'm gonna just hop on that. So. And then everyone else was kind of just down to tour, and Eric was down the tour. He has, like, a remote job thing going on. So we're all just stoked on doing everything that we're doing, and we put a lot of time and effort into Belly of the Beast. And, yeah, we're just getting excited to put out the record. And justice was helping us with it a little bit too. That was cool. I wish he did more. Unfortunately, there was only, like, a little bit of it, but the little stuff that he did put in it, like, totally changed the songs for sure. I think if he was there for, like, the whole thing, it could have been even crazier, which is.

[Colin]

Well, now. Now, you know you got a goal for LP3.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

So. So Belly of the Beast, this is the. This is the culmination of. Of. Of eight years of work so far, basically. Seven. Eight years.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Sophomore records have to be your best thing yet.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's intimidating, bro.

[Colin]

It is. I mean, you nailed it.

[Andrew Vacante]

Thank you. Thank you. I mean, you did it. You guys know as much as I do that a lot of bands for the Sophomore is the. Is the point where people are like, I don't care anymore.

[Colin]

Do or die.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. Straight up.

[Colin]

And you do.

[Andrew Vacante]

Thank you very much.

[Colin]

Thank you, dude. All over this one, Bo and I have talked a bunch privately, just about this record that, like, the riffs, the transitions, the structures, the. It's memorable. It's catchy. We really. We really think you've done something special here. Tell us about putting it together, how long this process took, how you felt finishing it. Just listening to it back for the first time.

[Andrew Vacante]

Damn. A lot of it was. I. I don't want. I don't want to say this. And. And, like, it's no diss to my. To my band at all or anyone else in the band. A lot of it was just. I think I kind of went rogue on this one. I did a lot of it. A lot of it was like me and my house kind of buckling down and just like, being like, the way I feel when I. When I write. When I write now is like, how can I make. How can I make all the. That I love be better? You know what I mean? And, like. And obviously it's Never gonna be better, but you know what I mean? Like, yeah, yeah. I don't know how to make this sound like a good way, a different.

[Colin]

Version of a thing. You already love imagining something, but.

[Andrew Vacante]

But I. A lot of it was just me buckling down alone in. In my house, like, like, churning out as many riffs as possible, like, kind of blueprinting, like, what kind of songs I wanted to, like, write as far as structure. What. What, like, what vibe of songs that I wanted sketching. Just a lot of stuff like that. And, you know, like, like. And then. And then once I had all that, then we did the same old formula where I took it to them, we would try it out, you know, like that. So it was again, you know, another LP is stressful. It felt stressful. I felt it for sure. I'm. I'm like a perfectionist about a lot of. And I'm really hard on myself, so I just wanted to be as best as it could be. And. Yeah. And then when justice approached me at fya, being like, yo, you know, if you want to, like, bounce some ideas off, I'm like, yeah, yeah. So then he was involved in it a little bit, and that was. That was a really cool experience. We got to just like, chill at his house a couple days and, like, run through songs in his basement. And he gave a lot of cool ideas. And then finally having it being done was just like, I. I could honestly say that I was really proud of everything about the record. Like, you. Like, on Another Life, I was like, we should have did this. We should have did that, right? For this. I'm like. I think I'm happy with, like, everything. So beautiful.

[Colin]

So this is the biggest personal investment you've ever done on any.

[Andrew Vacante]

1000%. 1000%.

[Bo]

You do a thing on this record that, that I really like where there's a. You do like a low talking voice underneath yourself. You know, there's like double vocals, but one's like, a little lower and more talking.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Bo]

And I like that because I feel like it's. In lieu of gang vocals constantly happening, which can be. Basically, you're adding a dynamic to the song that I find really interesting and not. It's kind of atypical with the style of what you guys are playing.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, I mean, I just stole that. Yeah, I mean, I mean, it's just from the, like Dynamo. It's just like.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

I was like. But the thing. The thing about that is that Dynamo records are, like, only on YouTube and, you know, and in my head, in my Head. I'm like, no band with like a, you know, a solid sounding production is. Has really done this. And I think, like, it needs to be utilized for sure. And, like, Dynamo's one of my favorite bands, and I think it should just be kind of like giving homage way more. And I think I just love the sound of it. It just adds. It. It just adds like a. Adds like a harder aspect to it, you know? I mean, I think, like, I like the way that it's kind of off time. I like the way that, you know.

[Colin]

Like, breaks up the monotony. It's just. It's a nice little cheat code. You did it, man. I. I really. I really, really think you guys deliver with this record. I think it's gonna launch you into the stratosphere this year. You just played ldb. How was that?

[Andrew Vacante]

So LDB was fucking cool. I was kind of tripping about, like 150pm time slot because I'm like, no one wants to have hardcore for brunch. So, you know, I played at 12:45.

[Colin]

The day before, which was 9:45am Pacific. Yeah, it was tough.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. So, you know, you get. You understand what I'm saying?

[Colin]

That's tough.

[Andrew Vacante]

So I was like. I was a little nervous. I was like, I hope people are gonna fucking be here. But it turned out to be really fucking cool. So.

[Colin]

Awesome.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. Fun weekend, for sure.

[Colin]

Beautiful. Do you have any tours booked for this record so far?

[Andrew Vacante]

So we have the Midwest run out to tie down with Apex Predator and Steamroll.

[Bo]

Cool.

[Andrew Vacante]

Great tour.

[Colin]

Double duty.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. Yeah. First Double Duty tour.

[Colin]

Wow. Congrats. Mazel.

[Andrew Vacante]

I leave for Sweden tomorrow and then. Yeah. And then we do Texas in five days. So I get back from Sweden and then we go right to Texas and then Midwest. And now we're currently booking the Sounding Fury shit.

[Bo]

Because we're gonna do it.

[Colin]

Well, just in case this doesn't come out for a few weeks, can you send me a little video, a video diary compilation from a few of these shows and I'll insert it right here.

[Andrew Vacante]

Oh, yeah. 100. I don't need the validation that you see I wanna be everybody's enemy.

[Colin]

There it was. I hope you enjoyed it.

[Bo]

That was great. That was amazing. Wow.

[Colin]

Wow. Sweden and Texas, huh? Crazy.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Let's talk, let's talk. Let's talk food real quick. Do. Does Combust eat good?

[Andrew Vacante]

Oh, we eat, brother.

[Colin]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

Let me. Before we get into this, though, I just need to say the past few weeks, I. I had. I had a health scare.

[Bo]

Oh.

[Andrew Vacante]

So it's Good now.

[Bo]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

But for the past, like, few weeks on these tours that we've been doing, I was only on my salad and grilled chicken.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

So I've been missing this. So I'm very excited to talk about it all, because I'm gonna fucking go hard soon.

[Colin]

Okay, Great. Good. I want you to go hard because, as you know, America is the cult, the greatest culture melting pot in the world.

[Andrew Vacante]

Of course.

[Colin]

It's the greatest assortment of fine eateries in the world. What are you into? What do you guys like eating? What's your poison? You know?

[Andrew Vacante]

Well, once we hit the area that in and out becomes a thing. It's. We're gonna be eating in and out, like, constantly.

[Bo]

It's game.

[Colin]

Thank you.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's.

[Colin]

That means a lot to the community to hear.

[Andrew Vacante]

We usually do, like. Let's say. Let's say we're in Cali for, like, a weekender, or whatever. Right. I think on that big boy run we did, we had in and out, like, almost twice every day that we were there.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Colin]

When out of out of town bands come here. Like, when harm's way comes here, I. I end up eating in and out three times in, like, three days.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Colin]

And I don't mind.

[Bo]

Yes.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's so good.

[Bo]

Pick me up from the airport. And that's just where we go.

[Andrew Vacante]

And it's not like, why wouldn't.

[Colin]

And I feel like him. I'm like, wow, this is good.

[Andrew Vacante]

It never gets old. And people be like. People like. You sure you're not just saying that because you can't have it? No.

[Colin]

So annoying.

[Andrew Vacante]

I'm not an idiot. I understand what is good. Like, I don't know. That's crazy.

[Bo]

The crazy thing is to. We talk about this all the time, but it's $6 for a double. Double. There's a place that just opened up in Wicker park in Chicago that is so good. Called Not a Damn Chance. I can't wait to take you there, Colin. It is excellent. It's fucking $14.

[Colin]

You know, if I. When did what? Listen, when did lunch become $40, bro?

[Andrew Vacante]

I'm saying the shit's getting out of hand.

[Bo]

It's getting insane. Dude.

[Colin]

Dude, when. When I. When I spent 12 bucks on lunch a few years ago, I'd be like, 12 bucks? Yeah.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Colin]

It's 40 now.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's the whole world gone spongebob. You know what I'm saying?

[Colin]

That's a good way to put it. We got sharks driving sharks in Europe. We got fucking $40 lunch. It's it's massive. It's his mass hysteria. I'm sick of it.

[Bo]

So when you're. When you're outside of California, then what? What are you eating?

[Andrew Vacante]

Let me think, let me think. I mean, Don's is always. I mean, like, I know that's not very in vogue. It's very politically correct right now. I'm sorry, but like. I mean, I can get mad free shit on my app. I don't know what to tell you. I just got it. Like, this has got it. It's got to happen.

[Colin]

Sure. But like, what it is in term, in terms of your day to day? Are you doing, like, stromboli? Breakfast, calzone, lunch?

[Andrew Vacante]

You're talking about when I'm home?

[Colin]

Yeah, Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

I eat good when I'm home. I eat healthy.

[Colin]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

I mean, unless, you know, like, you know. I mean, that's crazy, but, you know, I'm gonna splurge, obviously. I mean, like. Yeah. I mean, mad good pizza. I mean, maggot.

[Colin]

Okay, yeah, let's talk.

[Bo]

Let's talk pizza.

[Colin]

Can you give me a New York top five?

[Andrew Vacante]

I could definitely do that.

[Bo]

I'd love to hear it.

[Andrew Vacante]

Okay, number one is gonna be Defara.

[Colin]

Okay. I know a few people that agree with you.

[Andrew Vacante]

Avenue J, the far. That's number one of all time.

[Colin]

Okay. Wow.

[Andrew Vacante]

Number two, John's on Bleecker.

[Colin]

Really? Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, I'm a fan. Number three. I'm gonna hit you with some Staten island ones, though, too, please, because I have to.

[Colin]

That's. I. I'll. It's. It sucks that I'll never get you never know, bro. That's true.

[Andrew Vacante]

Hey, never say never, brother.

[Colin]

All right, you booked me. I'm coming.

[Andrew Vacante]

Switching tongues on Staten Island.

[Colin]

Come on.

[Andrew Vacante]

Nona's is number three, and Nona's is like less than 10 minutes from my crib.

[Bo]

Okay.

[Colin]

Are there real Nonas making these pies or.

[Andrew Vacante]

At one point there probably was.

[Bo]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

Number four. This is hard, man. Number four might have to be lindustri.

[Colin]

Yeah. You got to give it to him.

[Andrew Vacante]

It really was. I hate to do it to a new. A newer place, but, like, they figured it out. It really is that good. That burrata slice is no joke.

[Colin]

It's crazy.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Do you think. Do you think it's fallen off a little bit?

[Andrew Vacante]

Oh, damn. Has it? I don't know. It's been a minute since I've had it.

[Colin]

I've been. I mean, it's still incredible. It's still incredible.

[Andrew Vacante]

They extended their place. Ah.

[Bo]

So maybe they put. They put the sauce in the wall.

[Andrew Vacante]

Once it gets. Once it gets too big, it loses the quality.

[Bo]

That is.

[Colin]

I'll never forget that. That. That whatever slice I had that was disappointing does not negate that.

[Andrew Vacante]

Bums me out.

[Colin]

Don't tell me that it's like the. Like the. The band's fifth album not being amazing. Don't mean the. The Age of Quarrel isn't still amazing.

[Andrew Vacante]

That's fair. But the thing is, you can't go back and re. Eat the first slice you had. Like, you can go back and listen to the first record.

[Colin]

You can't.

[Andrew Vacante]

So.

[Bo]

And you know what?

[Colin]

It's still great.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

I'll give you an update if I have it.

[Bo]

Your. Your 1200th in and out is just as good as number two.

[Colin]

But, you know, I don't want to listen. Linda street is unbelievable.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, I. I like the industry. That's. I'll leave that at number four.

[Colin]

That's number five. The coveted number five.

[Andrew Vacante]

Damn. Damn, damn. Five. I can either go Staten island again.

[Colin]

Don't go Staten island, because nobody can go there.

[Andrew Vacante]

Shit.

[Colin]

But also, if you look. You want to put on for your home.

[Andrew Vacante]

I really do, though.

[Bo]

Do it.

[Andrew Vacante]

I'm gonna go. Stand out. Okay.

[Colin]

Yeah, do it. Do it.

[Andrew Vacante]

The place. There's a place called Doe on Staten Island.

[Colin]

Great name.

[Bo]

It's. I don't know. It's fucking dough, literally.

[Andrew Vacante]

And you go there and they go, it's. It's the fucking dough.

[Colin]

Wow.

[Andrew Vacante]

You say. You say, how is this so good? And they go, it's the fucking.

[Colin]

Oh, it's in the name. How do you feel about lnb?

[Andrew Vacante]

I used to love lmb, but it's falling off. It's not good anymore.

[Colin]

It's just not good is crazy.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's not that it's not good. It's just.

[Colin]

Just there.

[Andrew Vacante]

I have better options.

[Colin]

Okay. That. Do that.

[Andrew Vacante]

That. But that's like. Okay, so what, I have to go there for the novelty slice that I've had 10 million times?

[Colin]

Yeah. It's not a novelty. It's a specialty.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's. Yeah, but, like, I don't give a shit because it's not as it was when I was a kid.

[Colin]

That's. That's. That's. That's maybe true.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. Like, why am I gonna settle for a lesser pizza?

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Wow. Lesser. This is. These are big words.

[Andrew Vacante]

That's what I'm saying. You know, you know. You know, you know, I'd be nice as the vocabulary.

[Colin]

You're right. No, you're doing good. Yeah. You talk real Good.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Okay, that was good.

[Andrew Vacante]

I don't think too good. So I got you.

[Colin]

So. So the. Your day to day, you're eating real good. Like you're going, you're going. Pizza off the rip. Stromboli dinner.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yo, what is it with you in the stromboli, bro?

[Colin]

You ever had one?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yes, of course I've had one.

[Colin]

They're good.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, they are good, but I just.

[Colin]

Hope that real Italians actually eat them so I can be a little bit.

[Andrew Vacante]

I mean, it's like, it's not like a popular thing. It's like kind of sucks. It's really not that great. Like in my opinion, like, there's not like, yo, it's very rare where someone's like, yo, let's go get food. I want a stromboli. It's like really rare, bro.

[Colin]

That's your problem.

[Andrew Vacante]

Okay, you know. You know what's good? A pinel sandwich.

[Colin]

Yeah, tell me more.

[Andrew Vacante]

Just like, it's essentially just like fried up. Mashed chickpeas, like falafel and then. No, but not. It's. It's like, it's like a different kind of fried. It's like, it's like a. It's like a ring. Like a mozzarella, not falafel. And then they put regoth on it. Ah, it's.

[Colin]

That reminds me. The way you said that just reminded me. You hate that guy Coogin, right?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, I hope he.

[Bo]

Oh.

[Andrew Vacante]

Do I have to bleep that out? My bad.

[Bo]

We'll believe it.

[Colin]

No, I don't think so. He probably. I mean, he. Here's his response.

[Andrew Vacante]

Okay, well, I challenged him to a boxing match the middle of the street in Staten Island. He never responded. So is that. Yes, he is. I hate him. The thing, the thing about people like that is that they set. They set us back years. They make us a caricature.

[Bo]

Yeah, yeah, I like he's doing a bit.

[Andrew Vacante]

Go make your money somewhere else, bro. Like you. That's not your real accent. No 25 year old Staten Islands kid is talking like a 60 year old Brooklyn guy. You're not. Yeah, it's not happening anymore.

[Colin]

But if you say that while like borderline slipping into the way he sounds over the top. I'm not as over the. Come on.

[Andrew Vacante]

I don't go. I don't do that, bro.

[Colin]

You're right, but you are you.

[Andrew Vacante]

You know, I get what you're saying. It's just the accent.

[Colin]

Yeah, I got you.

[Bo]

That's a natural accent.

[Colin]

Yours is real.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's Been proven that that is fake. People have told me that that is fake.

[Bo]

Of course he's doing a bit.

[Andrew Vacante]

I don't like it.

[Colin]

Let me. Let me ask you this, Andrew, as a. As a. As an Italian boy, probably raised Roman Catholic.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

You believe in ghosts?

[Andrew Vacante]

See, like, I want to. I do. Like, I really want to, but I haven't been touched by the spirit. Give me. Give me supernatural phenomena and I'll believe it.

[Colin]

I got you. That's fair. I will work on it.

[Andrew Vacante]

Why can't one of these, like, move something in my house when it's, you know, like.

[Colin]

Because you want it to be.

[Andrew Vacante]

Give me a sign.

[Bo]

Because it's 7:30 in the evening. They're. They're. They're not up yet, you know, that's true.

[Colin]

They're busy.

[Bo]

They're busy.

[Colin]

They're in. They're in fucking cologne time.

[Bo]

We didn't get to talk about it too much, but what is Paid With Pain about Paid With Pain. That's my favorite song on the record.

[Andrew Vacante]

Really.

[Colin]

That's the Terror track.

[Andrew Vacante]

That's one of the only songs that. That I didn't write the riffs for. Peter wrote.

[Bo]

No offense, it's just.

[Andrew Vacante]

That's cool.

[Bo]

I really like it.

[Andrew Vacante]

So, like, the. The main idea behind that song is kind of like. Like a rampage, you know, and. And mental Break a sweat. Lyrical content, kind of. It's just like. It's my now current take on those kinds of songs where it's like people now want so much for doing like, essentially nothing. And everyone who's essentially famous and looked up to and revered is like all these people who do nothing. And true. It's. It's just like a strange world we live in, in which, like, I think the best. The best feeling is when you see something pay off from all the hard work that you put into it. So that's what that song is, essentially.

[Bo]

You're touring with Shark, you're paying with pain.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yes. You're definitely getting paid with pain on that tour.

[Bo]

Beautiful. I like that. I was. I was curious. I was hoping you would say something like that.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, I mean, that's just. Yeah, I mean, that's all you see now. You know, it's weird. It's like. It's a weird concept when you think. It's very dystopian when you think about it.

[Colin]

Yeah, it is. Yeah, it's. And you can't predict what's gonna work and what's not gonna work, you know, for sure. Everything's. Everything's timing.

[Andrew Vacante]

Lotto ticket yeah, but you guys are my age range, you know, and like, isn't it so strange that like, we live in a time where people send money to people just to watch them sit in their room and just like.

[Bo]

That's not that weird, right, guys?

[Andrew Vacante]

No, but like, you're actually making content though.

[Colin]

Like, everything I know about streamers is against my will.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, it's just so strange, dude.

[Colin]

Yeah, and they're more famous than, than like actors, dude.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's nuts.

[Colin]

Like, yeah, whatever they do, I. I have to see what Asmongold thinks about fucking everything. One of the most killable looking people I've ever seen in my life.

[Bo]

And then there's discourse about fucking Matty Matheson's band, when that guy has done more for bands and has been a hardcore kid forever and just because he finds money or whatever, you know, like it's all backwards, everything.

[Andrew Vacante]

I mean, backwards. If we, if we got into an episode about discourse, this episode would never end. So.

[Bo]

I know, I know it's true.

[Colin]

It's never good, but it's always fun. Straight up, Andrew. Before we get into. We have some questions from our Patreon people. We previously asked your top four hardcore records of all time. Our answers change every day.

[Bo]

Yeah. Yeah, right.

[Andrew Vacante]

Same.

[Colin]

So I, I want to recheck in with you to see if this answer has changed.

[Bo]

Didn't we ask his. I know it was letter mosh, but wasn't it?

[Andrew Vacante]

You asked me top four.

[Bo]

Was it top four New York or.

[Andrew Vacante]

No, just top four.

[Bo]

Okay, my mistake.

[Andrew Vacante]

And that. And that was Killing time. Bright side. Blacklisted everything. Having Chromax, Age of Qual, Dynamo, animal instinct. So the thing about that is, like you say yours changes every day and I'd say probably the same for me, but I think the only one that wouldn't change is bright side.

[Bo]

Yeah, sure.

[Andrew Vacante]

So if I had to give one now for the four, it would be Killing Time. Bright side. I'm. I'm wearing the shirt, so it has to be. Sick of it all. Blood, sweat, no tears. Okay. Integrity. Systems overload.

[Colin]

Love it.

[Andrew Vacante]

Do I just leave Chromax Age of Quall on there? Because, like, I have to.

[Colin]

It's a fair pick.

[Andrew Vacante]

I mean, like, yeah, but I feel like it's a cheat code because it's like everyone's gonna pick that.

[Colin]

But. But is it, is it a cheat code or is it the truth?

[Andrew Vacante]

Right, Exactly. I'll leave it on.

[Bo]

I. I think. Colin, What? Do you think it would be cool to do a composite. What are the most frequent answers? Because Killing Time is what's gotta be.

[Colin]

I would say Killing Time. Set it off.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Bo]

And are very popular, probably Satisfaction.

[Colin]

Satisfaction's up there a lot.

[Andrew Vacante]

You know. What I see is not mentioned that often, which surprises me. Is self titled Bad Brains.

[Bo]

Yeah, you're right.

[Andrew Vacante]

I feel like it's left out a lot.

[Colin]

Should be. Should be left out. It should be in there.

[Andrew Vacante]

It should be in a lot of top fours.

[Colin]

I agree. To me, they were the. The. The runaway finalists for the right side of the 80s bracket. But, you know, don't get me started.

[Bo]

Yeah, you know, I'm a recent Sick of It all fan. Colin has converted me.

[Andrew Vacante]

What do you mean, recent?

[Bo]

Recent? That was never a thing. No one, I guarantee you, no one in. In Chicago, in my friend group, my age group, it was Sick of It all. Just never really hit.

[Andrew Vacante]

No way, bro.

[Bo]

Swear.

[Colin]

They ran shit.

[Bo]

I know. I know it. Listen, Crazy, I saw them. No one. I'm telling you. There are certain bands we know how it is where they just.

[Andrew Vacante]

I believe you.

[Bo]

It just didn't happen.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's just so good that it's like how.

[Bo]

Just look around was the one that did it for me.

[Andrew Vacante]

Really.

[Bo]

I mean, I've listened.

[Andrew Vacante]

That record is incredible.

[Colin]

They gotta play some damn songs from it, bro.

[Andrew Vacante]

I remember. I've seen. I'm not. I'm not saying this is like a, you know, my. My check off my ticket, but I've seen Sick of it all maybe like at this point, over 60 times, no exaggeration. And every time, almost every time I've ever seen them, there's mad people going, play the Shield. And then Lou would always just say, we used to play the Shield and no one cared. You don't get it now. So. But.

[Colin]

So here's 10. Scratch the surface.

[Andrew Vacante]

But, yo, the Shield is like.

[Colin]

Fucking Shield is crazy. So paint the Pain strikes Skank part.

[Andrew Vacante]

That whole. That whole record.

[Colin]

Yeah, it's crazy, man.

[Andrew Vacante]

What's going on?

[Colin]

Yeah, just give it to me.

[Andrew Vacante]

Come on, brother.

[Bo]

What's the track with the. Is it shut me out?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, yeah, that.

[Bo]

That hit on my first. Listened to it when I was at the airport the other day and it was just like. Oh, like. That was the one. Yeah.

[Colin]

Whoopsie.

[Andrew Vacante]

Dude, that one's so good. I mean, even. The. Even the title track is like. That baseline is iconic. It's iconic.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Colin]

I took the entire song lyrically.

[Andrew Vacante]

Damn. Did they.

[Colin]

Oh, yeah. It's on perseverance. They pay for it. It's credited. Oh, you took the whole thing? Yeah.

[Bo]

Wow.

[Colin]

Question. The Whole thing.

[Andrew Vacante]

What?

[Bo]

Wow.

[Colin]

Anyway, yeah, they'll be the first to.

[Andrew Vacante]

Tell you that's crazy.

[Colin]

It's credited, it's in perseverance. So they know. All right, let's get to the. Here's some Patreon questions. I'll read the ones that aren't just about come and busting. Sorry, man. If New York Hardcore didn't exist, what region would be the biggest inspiration for you? Who's one band you've done a show with that blew you away? That's two questions.

[Bo]

Good questions, though.

[Andrew Vacante]

Okay. Wait, that's separate.

[Bo]

Separate. Separate, yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

Okay.

[Colin]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

Well, if New York Hardcore didn't exist. In hardcore wouldn't exist, probably.

[Colin]

I'm with you. But if.

[Andrew Vacante]

If New York Hardcore didn't exist, what would be my main inspiration?

[Bo]

Yeah, yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

That said Minor Threat, probably.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Okay, so DC.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, 100%.

[Bo]

That makes total sense.

[Colin]

Band you've played with that you.

[Andrew Vacante]

That blew you away, like recently?

[Colin]

Oh, yeah, maybe.

[Bo]

Maybe an unknown band, like someone new to you.

[Andrew Vacante]

I mean, yo, listen, we just did the tour with Echo Chamber, and I can. That's one of those bands that I could watch every night. Like, yo, Jonas on the Kid is like Mackie reborn, bro. The Swag is on another level. That guy somehow took Mackie Swag and brought it to Germany. Like, it's crazy.

[Colin]

Is he borderline standing up as well?

[Andrew Vacante]

No, but, like, just the way that. Yo, like those fast parts where you know when Mackie'll hit, like the. The double snare. No one else does that, bro. Yeah, he's doing that.

[Colin]

Beautiful.

[Andrew Vacante]

That's.

[Bo]

That love that.

[Andrew Vacante]

The echo chamber and terror. So I watched them for 36 days in a row, and it's like I never got bored once. Yeah, yeah.

[Bo]

The best hardcore, man.

[Colin]

Great answer.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Somebody asked how much come. Could a come bus come? Sorry, man. Is. Is New York Harcourt exclusively the city or New York State in general? Great set at ldb, by the way.

[Andrew Vacante]

Wow. Thank you. I've been saying this to Jay, and I said it at. To Age of Apocalypse at ldb. I was like, listen, you gotta start having. You guys put NYHC on your shit, all right? No more. No more of the Divide.

[Bo]

Oh, I love.

[Colin]

Just.

[Andrew Vacante]

Just put it on. Don't say New York City. But, you know, nyhc. That's fine. I'll take that.

[Colin]

Yeah. I mean, backtrack did it and like, Long. Long island was. Was ostracized. You know, they were on their own and for so long.

[Andrew Vacante]

So I think Long island has more than earned calling themselves, but I do.

[Colin]

Think the Long island guys were the ones who were adamant to me at first about how nyhc, like, they were like, no, New York, like, upstate New York is not New York hardcore.

[Andrew Vacante]

100%. It's. And it's not. But like, now it's. We're so limited now. It's like, why. And you know, why not?

[Bo]

Well, growing up, New York hardcore was a style, not a region thing. Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

100.

[Bo]

Now it's kind of all. It is what it is, what you're saying.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, I think, you know, if you. I don't know. I just want my homies to. To. To be able to use the term nyhc. I think they should.

[Colin]

They should be. I agree. We're with you.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Bo]

Does it piss you off when people in. In Manhattan, if anyone's from Manhattan, Manhattan, call it the city?

[Andrew Vacante]

I call. I've. I kind of called it the city, like, my whole life.

[Colin]

So I like that.

[Bo]

Okay.

[Colin]

Manhattan is Manhattan. I feel like.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, I never say Manhattan.

[Colin]

Like, Stigma doesn't live in Manhattan. That's. That's New York City.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, I mean, I. I just call it. If I'm referring to Manhattan, I call it the city.

[Bo]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Manhattan is the other name, as we know.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

What's your biggest pet peeve, Andrew?

[Andrew Vacante]

Pet peeve? Just. Just like, just being, you know, just being like, a really bad person. That's a big pet peeve. Just like, don't be, like, inconsiderate.

[Colin]

So scumbags are your pet.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, just like scumbaggagery would definitely be a pet peeve, I'd say.

[Colin]

That's fair.

[Bo]

Interesting.

[Colin]

It's a big one.

[Bo]

Interesting.

[Colin]

Somebody, as somebody who is somehow tapped into you being a classic metal guy, asked your. Your favorite classic metal albums.

[Bo]

Oh, that's a good question.

[Andrew Vacante]

Iron Maiden, Killers.

[Bo]

Yeah. Early banger. Damn.

[Andrew Vacante]

Paul Diana.

[Bo]

Wow.

[Colin]

Raging.

[Bo]

Do you go deep into Iron Maiden? Like, do you.

[Andrew Vacante]

Oh, yeah.

[Bo]

You celebrate the catalog.

[Andrew Vacante]

That's like. That was like. Until. Until I found, like, hardcore music. That was my favorite band.

[Bo]

That was it.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Bo]

Because Dude Killers, like, the early. The first two records are, like, kind of hard.

[Andrew Vacante]

They're. They're borderline punk.

[Bo]

Boring. Genius. Yeah, absolutely.

[Colin]

Yo3 the three guitar band.

[Bo]

Oh, 100 Steve Harris, he's the dude.

[Andrew Vacante]

Is so, like, when I. When I first picked up a base, that's who I wanted to be.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

I was like, yo, like, yeah, dude, I. I got that down, bro.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Colin]

You ever play Iron Maiden? Pinball?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, of course.

[Colin]

It's the best.

[Bo]

Somehow all of the metal, like, The Metallica pinball is awesome, too.

[Colin]

Yeah.

[Bo]

Because they can go through all the catalog. It's all.

[Colin]

They're made with love, dude. Flipping to change the Iron Maiden song before you start is the sickest thing.

[Bo]

I love that.

[Andrew Vacante]

If you. If you. If. If you asked me when I was a kid the question of who do you do? I was definitely trying to be Steve Harris when I was playing in that metal band. I was like, I had the wristbands. I had the fucking.

[Colin]

What's the answer now?

[Bo]

Yeah, who do you do singing?

[Andrew Vacante]

Oh, who do I do singing? Shit. I mean, there's definitely some Anthony coming out shit like Swagger in there. Definitely call the monster in there. I feel like my banter definitely I get from. From Paul Bear. Well, then maybe not.

[Colin]

Yeah, back that up.

[Andrew Vacante]

Maybe not all.

[Colin]

Yeah, exactly.

[Bo]

Hey, did you watch our. Our Best Live Videos episode by any chance?

[Andrew Vacante]

Yes, it was incredible.

[Bo]

I was wondering if you had any specific, because I feel like the. The guy, like New York guys would have an input on that. I'm just curious if there was anything you think we forgot.

[Andrew Vacante]

I don't remember every single one that you did. I think when I was watching it, I probably was watching and being like, oh, how did you not include this one? But.

[Bo]

Right.

[Andrew Vacante]

Nothing that comes to mind right away. I mean, I know. I know you included, like, some of the most important ones, maybe. Sick of it all in, like, in New Jersey. I forgot the venue, but I forgot. I. The. The venue name is escaping me, but.

[Bo]

There'S like, I put you on the spot.

[Andrew Vacante]

There's a. There's a classic. Sick of it all, like, 90s.

[Colin]

I know what you're talking about.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

And it's like many people said that was our. Our biggest omission, and they're right.

[Andrew Vacante]

It might have been. I want to say it's like. It's not Club Chrome, is it? No. I don't know. No. But for the. For the last person who I do, actually, now I think about it, the, like, the one front man when I was like, really getting in the hardcore more that, like, blew my mind was Lee Spielman.

[Bo]

Whoa.

[Colin]

Wow. Dude, he on that Crazy.

[Bo]

Yeah, he was nuts. He had.

[Andrew Vacante]

I have to. I have to give it up because I stole his whole style when I was in Vice for sure.

[Bo]

So you did, like a.

[Colin]

Climbing. Climbing everywhere.

[Andrew Vacante]

Myself in the head. Yeah.

[Colin]

Damn. Yeah, you're known to know about that.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. Oh, she knew.

[Bo]

You got all your teeth still you look.

[Andrew Vacante]

I would come. I would come to work when I worked at grocery stores. I would come to work with, like, my head just eviscerated from a microphone. Like, what happened to you?

[Colin]

But I got my vices.

[Andrew Vacante]

Wow.

[Colin]

Sorry, man.

[Andrew Vacante]

Now you're good.

[Colin]

Thoughts and feelings on the belly of the beast. Record release.

[Andrew Vacante]

Oh, this is magical.

[Colin]

It looked incredible.

[Andrew Vacante]

Still waiting for the video, but it was. I don't even need it. It's magical.

[Bo]

Yeah. I think I saw you. You tweet about it being particularly special to you.

[Andrew Vacante]

Dude, it was just. Yeah, it was just like the energy was just there and like. I don't know, man. Just one of those. One of those had to be there moments. It was really cool. It was awesome.

[Colin]

I can't wait to watch it.

[Bo]

Yeah, I'm excited.

[Andrew Vacante]

Shout out all the bands who played for real.

[Colin]

It's a great lineup. This is a great question. Best depiction of New York in a TV show or movie.

[Bo]

Oh, that is good.

[Andrew Vacante]

That is a good question.

[Bo]

Do a movie and a show.

[Andrew Vacante]

Oh, best depiction like New York now, though, in general.

[Colin]

The New York that you know and love.

[Bo]

Yeah. Most authentic to its respective period.

[Andrew Vacante]

Like, maybe like Bronx Tale.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

Beautiful. Like, I always felt. I always felt like Taxi Driver really captured it, like, for that era. I wouldn't know, right?

[Bo]

Sure.

[Andrew Vacante]

Personally. But I think, like, everything about that was kind of just like. If you look back and see pictures and all that kind of shit, maybe the warriors to.

[Bo]

Dude.

[Andrew Vacante]

I mean, classic. Maybe that's.

[Colin]

Maybe that's what we want it to be.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

I mean, TV show.

[Colin]

Sex and the City, obviously, dude.

[Andrew Vacante]

Trying to think what shows are basically.

[Bo]

Terry affording a fucking, like, giant a manse on her college.

[Colin]

She's a really good writer.

[Bo]

Yeah. Jesus.

[Andrew Vacante]

Are you guys a Sex in the City heads?

[Bo]

Fuck, yeah. I got a single mother.

[Colin]

Good show.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. No, for sure.

[Colin]

It's. It's incredibly accurate. How often do you actually say forget about it?

[Andrew Vacante]

Never, bro.

[Bo]

Okay.

[Andrew Vacante]

Why?

[Colin]

I would be. I would be taking full advantage of that.

[Bo]

I mean, like, how you doing again?

[Andrew Vacante]

It's just like, how you're doing is just like. But see, again, like, we don't do it in the way that you, like, think where it's like, you just did.

[Colin]

What are you saying? How are you doing?

[Andrew Vacante]

That sounds like, how you doing? But, like, we don't say like, oh, how you doing? You don't say that.

[Colin]

So you would say, forget about it.

[Andrew Vacante]

No, I wouldn't say forget about it.

[Bo]

Holy. Dude, you slipped into central Illinois there for a second.

[Andrew Vacante]

That was crazy. Sometimes I got a code switch.

[Bo]

Wow.

[Andrew Vacante]

Wow.

[Bo]

To talk to these corn fed the customer service voice.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah. Yeah. For real.

[Bo]

Wow.

[Andrew Vacante]

I'd be pronouncing my Oz sometimes.

[Colin]

Okay, forget about it. But Buster.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah, there you go.

[Colin]

Who do you think is the hardest band of all time?

[Andrew Vacante]

The hardest band of all time?

[Colin]

This is the last question.

[Andrew Vacante]

That's the last question.

[Colin]

Really think about it.

[Andrew Vacante]

Who do I think is the hardest band of all time?

[Colin]

Yeah. So hard.

[Bo]

Who did we say? Colin?

[Colin]

We said it was 100 demons.

[Bo]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

And that, like, that's obviously, like, a very good answer.

[Bo]

Some would say a top four, but.

[Andrew Vacante]

Like, what are we factoring in that makes them the hottest band?

[Bo]

That's the thing.

[Andrew Vacante]

It's. It's a culmination of everything around it.

[Colin]

Yeah.

[Bo]

Hey.

[Colin]

All things.

[Bo]

Forget about it.

[Colin]

Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

God damn it. I think kind of Chromags needs to be in that running, dude.

[Bo]

When you. I don't know, like, Survival of the streets is like. Yeah.

[Andrew Vacante]

Because, like, you know, it's. That's like. That's like a very good example of when people are like, yo, this isn't heavy. It's hard. And when you. When you hear a band song that has, like, that's fast, and you're like, this is so fudgeing hard. Like, when I listen to integrity, Armenia and Persecution, I'm like, this is fucking hard. And it doesn't have a breakdown.

[Bo]

Right?

[Colin]

True.

[Andrew Vacante]

You know what I'm saying? But like, Chrome Mags, every song is just, like, fast. The. The imagery, the. The lyrical, like, everything of, like, the lore. I think they got to be in the running. Either them or Mad Ball. Got to be.

[Colin]

Two great answers. Mad Ball is an absolute contender.

[Andrew Vacante]

Yeah.

[Colin]

Good. Good picks. Andrew, we had a great time today.

[Andrew Vacante]

Thank you for having me. This is. This is great.

[Bo]

This is great.

[Colin]

We loved it. I really. I really feel like we've cracked into the nut of. Of the Cumbuster himself.

[Andrew Vacante]

My God, dude, you just, like, you think that thing is. Sorry.

[Colin]

You did it to me. Really, it's your fault. But, you know, Belly of the Beast, what a great record. You guys really. You crushed this one. I think you've cemented yourselves as. As one of the best bands currently playing music today.

[Bo]

And I want to say I think you're doing a style of music that we need right when we need it, right when it needs to be happening.

[Andrew Vacante]

I mean, thank you both very much. That means a lot. Thank you.

[Colin]

We. We were thrilled to have you on today. We hope you've all enjoyed this. This incredible episode. The shark stuff, really. I just cannot believe. I can't stop thinking about it.

[Bo]

Hopefully he's not a fan. I'm sure we have zero listeners.

[Colin]

I mean, I hope he's listening.

[Andrew Vacante]

I hope he's listening, too, so he understands all the turmoil mentally that he's caused me.

[Bo]

Yeah, true.

[Colin]

It's important, Andrew, any. Any imparting words to leave the people with.

[Andrew Vacante]

Shit, man.

[Bo]

Perfect.

[Andrew Vacante]

That's it. Shit. All right.

[Colin]

Beautiful. Excellent. Thank you all for watching Belly of the Beast out now. Go see Combust on tour. Whenever they're near you, it's going to be a lot. They're hitting the road hard. They're doing it, which is another thing that we need right now.

[Bo]

Now. Right.

[Colin]

Bands busting their ass.

[Andrew Vacante]

Come bust you just. Yeah. I'm sorry.

[Colin]

We'll see you all next week. Thank you so much. Bye.