New from Long Island hardcore label Icebreaker Records comes a 7-song EP cassette called A Show of Force from New Orleans, Louisiana’s Face-Off.
The idea of tough-guy hardcore is very much still alive in modern hardcore. Face-Off proves that in 7 songs of mosh-friendly breakdowns, two-steps, and venomous lyrics. The songs on the EP go hard, and you are guaranteed an awesome payoff at the end of each song.
The best way I can describe the vibes on this EP is cruel, like those on an Until the End record. The lyrics remind me of Mean Pete himself on songs like "Arms’ Length." For example: “two-faced fucking fake / always been a fucking snake / If I knew then what I know now / I'd keep you at an arm's length.”
I am going to assume that the energy that each of the seven songs demonstrated must make for a truly remarkable live show. Clearly excited about the band and A Show of Force, I spoke with Face-Off vocalist Bobby Burnette about the new release and what else we can expect from the Bayou State outfit.
Thanks for chatting with me, Bobby. First off, the songs on this release are very mosh-heavy. What are your shows like? Does the energy of the songs match the crowd?
Of course, man, thank you for having us! Our shows can get pretty rowdy. Mic grabs, stage dives, spinkicks, all kinds of stuff. We don't like to play the same performance twice, so we try our best to mix it up with some sick song transitions, samples, and hype ass covers.
We're very focused on big sound and tight dynamics, so we use some pretty heavy gear, 6x12 guitar stacks, 8x10 bass cabs, no replacement for displacement, ya heard.
What influenced the material on A Show of Force?
Instrumentally, it's definitely an amalgamation of all the different kinds of heavy music we've evolved with over the years. Sunami, Drain, Two-Piece, Madball, Killing Time, The Ghost Inside, Trapped Under Ice, Expire, Sick of It All, Rotting Out, Terror, Hatebreed, Swear to God, Merauder, Vein, Varials, Pain of Truth, Harm's Way, really from one end of the spectrum to the other.
Vocally, I resonate with the more expressive vocal styles like Travis Tabron of Erase Them, Jacob Bannon of Converge, Michael Smith of Pain of Truth, and a whole lot of others I can't think of at the moment [laughs].
The EP features New Orleans band Tortuous on the track "Steeled Nerve."
We've been very close with the guys from Tortuous for a very long time. Our drummer, Joe, is Julian's roommate, and we all grew up with Bailey and Jake on the west bank. Hell, I've been hanging with their bass player, Jake, since the 6th grade! Tortuous is more of a sludgy kind of doom metal deal, so they love loud ass amps just like us. We always link up at shows and have been in and out of bands together, so it just made sense to hit Julian up when we were looking for some additional vocals.
Now that A Show of Force is out, what is next for Face-Off?
We've got some new tracks finished up that we were looking to put on a split with some other homies in New Orleans called Fiend (sick ass band), but we were also working on doing another EP in 2026 with a bigger focus on our frustrations with the callous and disgusting ways in which our country is being run. More specifically, about the displacement of honest, hard-working families who came to our country with hopes and dreams just like you and me.
While the first release mostly came about from a deep frustration with many bad things happening in my life, I think this go-around would make perfect sense to write the antithesis and look outward. We're seeing these atrocities being committed by our own government every day, and everyone we know is fed up with it. We're ready to fight back however we can against their clear lack of respect for the common good, and even though art in the modern age is mostly intangible, it's still a very solid catalyst for change, as it ever has been, and we want to contribute.
Do you have any band inside jokes that are completely hilarious that you care to share?
Our guitar player, Steven, has been in a wheelchair for our last couple of shows after he suffered a nasty ankle break while loading out an amp head in Jackson, Mississippi. He's affectionately been dubbed "Hot Wheels."
What is your favorite pizza spot from where you are from?
While New Orleans isn't exactly known for its pizza, it IS known for its killer food. Luckily for us, pizza happens to be a food. There's a spot close to our place called U Pizza that's pretty fire. I made the guys try it the first night we moved into our place together, and they loved it.
Some of our other favorite spots down here include The Corner Oyster House, Felipe's, Melba's, El Patron, Tan Dinh, and Turkey & The Wolf.
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A Show of Force is available now on all music streaming sites. The cassette version of the EP is up for pre-sale via Icebreaker Records.
Face-Off on social media: Instagram
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