[Cover photo credit to Hunter Astrid @shottbyhunter]
Scions of the Southern California independent music scene, Hardcore foursome Feed the Beast are introducing themselves to more regional, national, and international stages with their latest album, Mercy, the band’s debut for label Futureless.
Working in Western Los Angeles and Santa Monica, Feed The Beast are signaling their return from a hiatus with an updated roster, an album, and a new record label affiliation. Their current bent is to meld their traditional heaviness with “occasions for experimentation” and “engaging in novel musical niches.”
Mercy’s first single is “Tombs Underneath the Tombs,” of which James Hutchinson says:
…is about being content with and even embracing hell, which is a fate worse than hell itself. It takes on the perspective of an incredibly narcissistic individual who believes they are smarter and stronger than everyone, including creation itself.
The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Nick Jett (of Terror) in under a week, Mercy is a compendium of punishing yet precise heavy cuts, deftly interspersed with melody, space, dynamics and syncopated rhythms. Original members James Hutchinson (vocals) and Nicholas Garcia (guitar) wrote Mercy across a span of a few months with former Feed the Beast members Tye Trujillo (bass) and Patrick Chavez (drums).
Feed the Beast began composing its material just before the COVID era struck in early 2020. After the pause, Feed the Beast soon booked themselves a busy self-release schedule with a handful of singles, the Vengeance album in 2022, and 2023’s EP, Silhouettes.
With Trujillo and Chavez leaving to focus on other projects (Trujillo plays in Suicidal Tendencies, filling his father Robert’s spot that became available when he joined Metallica, while Chavez plays with OTTTO), Hutchinson and Garcia retooled the lineup, recruiting new band members Julian Lincona (bass) and Billy Greenwood (drums) to support Mercy.
Upcoming Shows:
3/20/25 @ Knuckleheads Hollywood Ca
3/29/25: Backyard Show Pico Rivera ,CA
3/30/25 @ Brick by Brick San Diego, CA
W/Legions and Insolence
4/5/25 @ Vinnies Bar and Grill Concord, CA
W/ Captive State
