Rich Thurston has been a fixture in hardcore for over 30 years. From his early days in Ego Trip and Culture to stints with bands such as Terror, Walls of Jericho, Blood Has Been Shed, and, most recently, Saboteur, the guitarist has built an impressive discography.
Now, his attention is on No Grave, an Ohio metallic hardcore band that has been playing steadily throughout their region. This summer, they'll be heading overseas to tour Europe, including a performance at Ieper Fest alongside such bands as BOLD, Death Before Dishonor, End It, Haywire, and a host of other hardcore heavyweights.
When No Echo last spoke with Thurston in 2022, the conversation focused on his drum work with Saboteur. Since then, the band has moved forward without him, and No Grave has become his main focus. "No Grave started off as a studio project," he explains to No Echo. "I had some songs I wanted to record, so I went to the studio and did all the music. Later, I asked my buddy Aaron to sing on it."
No Grave started as a recording experiment but quickly grew into something more. Unlike bands that chase after specific influences, Thurston describes their songwriting as a natural process. "When we write songs, we try to do it organically. We don't say, 'Hey, let's write a part that sounds like this or that.' Don't get me wrong, we have our influences. Bands like Earth Crisis, Turmoil, and Blood Has Been Shed mold the sound we have."
That method comes through on Suffer Together, the band's latest release. Instead of rushing, Thurston and the rest of No Grave took time to shape the songs before heading into the studio. "Luckily, our good friend Shaun has a studio, and we were able to demo the songs for Suffer Together early on and tweak them before the final sessions," he says. "In the past, it's been more rushed and a bit unorganized. This time around, we took our time and really worked hard on making solid, cohesive songs."
Thurston also shared details about the recording process for those interested in gear. The initial guitar tracks used Gojira plugins before moving to re-amping. "In the studio, we used Gojira plugins for the initial tracking, then we re-amped with an OG Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier rack mount and a 5150 III 100-watt." The live setup matches that attention to detail. "Our live rig currently is matching Omega 5x12 cabs, SNK VH300 amps, and various Michael Klein effects."
The closing track on Suffer Together, "The Silenced," stands out for its guest vocals from 100 Demons frontman Pete Morcey.
For Thurston, having Morcey on the record was a choice rooted in both friendship and musical respect. "I've been friends with Pete for 26 years," he says. "My first tattoo was the Forced Reality album cover. 100 Demons is one of my all-time favorites and I really wanted to get him on a track."
As mentioned earlier, No Grave will bring these songs to new audiences in the coming months. The band has a packed schedule, with a June run alongside Edict and a European tour from July 2 to July 12.
"We try and do long weekends at least once every other month," Thurston says.
Since Thurston is a fellow hardcore lifer—and one who still keeps a close eye on what's happening in the scene today—I asked him to share some of his favorite hardcore releases of 2026 so far. His picks:
- Terror — Still Suffer
- Division of Mind — Exoterror
- Sunbloc — Joyride
- Poison the Well — Peace in Place
- Converge — Love Is Not Enough
Honorable Mentions:
- Forced Order — Undying Spirit
- Your Spirit Dies — It Is Well...
- xForeverWarx — Upon the Weak and Broken
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Suffer Together is available on vinyl, CD, and cassette via Heroes & Martyrs.
No Grave on social media: Instagram
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