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Dismissed: Meet the Band Behind One of the Best Hardcore Demos of 2024

Photo: Sam Kooby

Ever since it was released late last month, the debut demo from Dismissed has not left my regular listening rotation. I often explain to people that just because I cover a band on No Echo, it doesn't necessarily I love said band. But in this case, it's certainly true.

"Jeffy, Jared, and I all played in Know the Score together for years and wanted to do a new project despite living all over the country," Dismissed vocalist Nick told me over email a few days ago after I reached out to learn a bit about the group.

"The wheels were set in motion around a year ago and all of us began writing and exchanging ideas for new music. Jeffy and Jared ended up recording all the music in Florida with the almighty Anthony Burke at Burke’s Dungeon. I recorded my vocals in Cleveland with Steve from Mushroomhead. Yes, Mushroomhead. Around the same time, we recruited Shane from South Florida’s Domain, and Burger from Cleveland’s Live it Down."

The 5 tracks on the Dismissed demo are undeniable, a rarity in the sense that both the people who only listen to kind of stuff the Sorry State Records newsletter wax poetic about, and also the folks who mostly fuck with "Big Hardcore" festival bands can get on the same page about.

"I would describe our sound as Agnostic Front opening for Obituary on the '92 tour," Nick said about Dismissed's sonic DNA. 

"It is a mash-up of late '80s/early '90s Brooklyn, New York L'Amour bands playing Boston Hardcore. A few influences are Sheer Terror, Breakdown, and early Infest."

With the demo getting a push from a reputable label, and the band just playing a set at Equinox Fest in South Florida over this past weekend, Dismissed are just getting cooking. "We connected with Carter From Within Records and he dropped our demo tape. He puts out quality stuff for the core, by the core. We are lining up shows and we have a split in the works."

As Nick mentioned earlier, Dismissed's members are spread out across three states, but as the vocalist told me, he and his bandmates feel fortunate to be part of healthy hardcore communites. "Luckily, our members are from South Florida, Baltimore, and Cleveland. We have exposure to a lot of great stuff going on right now.

"In Cleveland, we want to put a spotlight on Delayed Gratification, they are putting out cool bands. Florida has Fortress Records, Armageddon Records, Domain, Beastplague, and Collateral. Baltimore’s got Sinister Feeling, and Erode."

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The Dismissed demo is available on cassette via From Within Records.

Dismissed on social media: Instagram
 

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