Expira are a hardcore band from Mataró, a coastal city about half an hour north of Barcelona. Formed in 2021, the group sing in Spanish, with vocalist Pablo’s native Buenos Aires accent giving the songs an additional character that guitarist Francesc feels helps distinguish them within the Catalunya/Spain hardcore scene.
What started as a simple desire to play eventually became a more serious project, with several lineup changes along the way. “We had all played in other bands before, so things moved pretty fast,” Francesc tells No Echo.
Expira's most recent release is Muerte Financiada, a 7-track collection issued back in the fall of 2024. The band teamed up with director Manuel Franco for the music video to the record's opening track, "H.E.L.B.," which stands for "Hecho En El Barrio" and translates to "Made in the Hood" in English:
Musically, Francesc describes Expira as hardcore or metallic hardcore, with plenty of metal worked into their sound. The biggest influence is NYHC, particularly Biohazard, Agnostic Front, and Madball, but their influences stretch well beyond New York.
“Also bands like Strife, Cold World or Earth Crisis... that kind of band,” he says. “We’re big on thrash crossover, Suicidal Tendencies, D.R.I. and so on, but there’s also something of Youth Crew and of more straightforward hardcore in there.”
Expira aren't solely looking backward, either. Francesc points to Terror, Combust, End It, Drain, Magnitude, Whispers, and Pain of Truth as current bands they pay attention to, while each member brings influences from outside hardcore into the mix.
“We don’t have a plan, we just do whatever comes out,” he explains. “The fact that we sing in Spanish/Argentinian also shapes the personality of our sound a lot, I think. That makes us different, I suppose, at least in the context of Catalunya/Spain.”
The DIY spirit has been part of Expira's approach from the beginning. The band self-releases its music, books a significant portion of its own shows, and handles merch sales at gigs.
Speaking on their local scene, Francesc points to longtime bands like Anal Hard and Bellako, alongside newer groups La Guadaña and All This Defeat. He also notes a growing scene just north on the Costa Brava, where bands such as EN-BRUT and xAUTODETERMINACIÓx are playing hardcore in Catalan.
“There’s been an interesting scene for a few years now,” he says, before turning his attention to Barcelona. “There’s more going on, an active scene that has been there for years,” with Francesc recommending Kids of Rage, Bait, King of Pain, No Rest For the Enemy, and Bloque among the bands currently worth checking out.
“We hope the band starts getting a bit more reach,” Francesc says. “We’d like to find more support to take the project forward and play live more, in Spain and also abroad. So if anyone reading this runs a label or puts on shows and we fit, get in touch.”
***
Expira on social media: Bandcamp | Instagram
Tagged: expira
