Xeroed is a new band from the Alabama hardcore scene that landed on my radar thanks to their XXX DEMO 2026 that hit streaming outlets earlier this month. The quintet features guitarist Aesop Mongo, best known as a member of No Cure, who also handles drum duties in Slam Brigade and Life Goes On.
Bonded by a passion for straight edge hardcore, Xeroed's no-nonsense writing style leaves no room for filler, keeping the speed up, yet providing plenty of mosh parts for the dancers.
I hit up Aesop to talk about how the band came together, the growing straight edge presence in Alabama, and what’s next for Xeroed.
Tell me how Xeroed came together, and what other bands outside of No Cure you all play in.
I really had an itch to play fast hardcore and do something that’d involve the straight edge youth of Alabama. So I wrote a demo in an afternoon and sent the idea to [drummer] Emery Madden, [guitarist] Sean Malone, [bassist] Alex Adams, and [vocalist] Ivy Wright.
I knew most of them just from being part of the scene, but I’ve known the drummer Emery since he was 7. I was in a band with his dad [laughs]. They were all on board immediately, hard to say no to an easy-to-play and fun hardcore band that's written and ready to go.
From a stylistic standpoint, what were some of the bands/records you all talked about when you formed Xeroed?
I specifically wanted to imitate No Tolerance and Carry On when I wrote it, just really fast and really slow in the most fun way. Lots of side-to-sides, two steps, and pile-on parts
Alabama isn't the first place someone would associate straight edge hardcore with. Talk to me a bit about that. Also, what are some of the other like-minded bands rooted in straight edge there?
We’ve always had a straight edge scene, but not nearly as much as in any major city's scene. I think it’s the strongest it’s ever been in Alabama, but I can’t attest to the '90s or early 2000s [laughs].
Right now, we have xPath of Destructionx, and Life Goes On in Birmingham. xPODx are all young kids, so it’s the sickest thing to me.
Was it rough growing up straight edge in Birmingham?
For me, it wasn’t hard growing up straight edge in Birmingham because I knew who I was, but I didn’t really have a sober friend until recent years. Just about everyone did or sold drugs around me, and that's just the way it was.
The demo is raw as fuck. I dig that. What's the story behind recording it at the Firehouse Community Arts Center?
The Firehouse started as a music venue in 2010 (I think) and has been a space for hardcore and punk since then. I’ve been going to shows there since I was a teenager, so it’s just special to me.
We recorded it with Francine Ulla; she’s the queen of DIY in Birmingham and a wiz at recording, mixing, and mastering. especially when I ask for a raw sound. I just asked to do it live, and that’s what we did
What's the plan for Xeroed now that the demo is out and you're playing shows?
The plan right now is to record a split with our friends from Memphis, Tennessee, and after we put that out, I’m gonna work on an EP. We just wanna play as often as possible around Alabama for now. When I'm busy on tour with No Cure, I'll have some of the other straight edge youth fill in for me on guitar so Xeroed can keep doing stuff
I'm sure we'll speak again soon, but is there anything else you would like to say here today?
Free Palestine. Fuck all politicians. Fuck the alcohol industry. Veganism is empathy. Arm trans people.
***
Xeroed on social media: Instagram
