No Known Weakness have been on a steady run since first appearing with a kickass demo back last year. “The last time I spoke to you, we were arranging a charity show,” vocalist Lev tells No Echo, noting that the event ultimately raised £2129.36 for cancer charities Maggie’s and Macmillan Cancer Support. That momentum carried forward into a stretch of shows across Glasgow, England, and even Dublin, where the band says they played “one of our favourite shows yet.”
Along the way, the Glasgow unit shared stages with a wide range of bands across the hardcore spectrum, from No Warning to The Chisel, while continuing to build their own identity. “We’ve been very fortunate in that every show we’ve played so far has been pretty much a banger,” they say, with more dates already lined up at home and across the UK. No Echo contributor Ellis Healey even included No Known Weakness on his Best New UKHC Bands of 2025 list a few months back.
All of that feeds directly into Tales From the Clydeside, the band’s new five-track EP, which pulls its name from a blend of influences close to home and hardcore history. The title flips Biohazard’s "Tales From the Hard Side" into something distinctly Glasgow, referencing the stretch of land along the River Clyde. “Biohazard and Glasgow are probably two of the biggest influences on most members of our band, so it just works so well for us,” says Lev.
Musically, the EP builds from a mix of hardcore and metal touchstones, with the band citing All Out War, Merauder, Cold as Life, Bolt Thrower, Shattered Realm, and 100 Demons as key influences. But the writing process wasn’t confined to a single moment. Some songs date back to the band’s earliest days, while others came together right before recording. “We’ve technically been writing this EP for the whole year and a half or so we’ve been a band,” Lev reveals.
Recording also leaned heavily on the band’s immediate circle. Vocals, drums, and parts of the guitars were handled with help from their friend Malky (Heads On Pikes), whom Lev describes as “the sixth member of the band.” Additional guitar tracking took place at The Audio Lounge, a space that’s become a hub for Glasgow Hardcore, before the EP was handed off to Ben Jones of Pest Control for mixing and mastering. “He’s an absolute wizard,” the vocalist says, crediting him with helping the final product hit as hard as it does.
Lyrically, Tales From the Clydeside is rooted in personal experience, but intentionally left open for interpretation. “All the songs are about people, events, things fairly specific to me and my life,” they say, “but I try to write the lyrics in a way so they could be interpreted to apply to a broader range of issues.” Themes across the EP touch on mental health, mortality, and confronting injustice, with the band encouraging listeners to take what they need from it while making their stance clear.
The record also doubles as a snapshot of Glasgow Hardcore right now. No Known Weakness brought in a range of guest vocalists representing different eras of the scene, from longtime staples to newer voices. “We intentionally tried to pick a range of guest vocalists who represented the past, present, and future of Glasgow Hardcore,” Lev tells No Echo.
That includes members of Divide and Broken Oath, as well as newer bands like Test of Patience and Nothin’ But Enemies, each bringing a different energy to the tracks. The goal was to reflect a scene that, by the band’s account, is thriving. “Glasgow Hardcore is alive and thriving right now,” says the frontman, pointing to growing attention from outside Scotland and a wave of newer bands pushing things forward.
That growth isn’t limited to Glasgow either. The band also points to scenes in Edinburgh and Dundee continuing to build, expanding the reach of Scottish Hardcore as a whole.
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Tales From the Clydeside is out now on all streaming outlets.
No Known Weakness on social media: Instagram
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