The Barbarians Of California, featuring Aaron Bruno of AWOLNATION and Eric Stenman of Tinfed and a noted producer, remain equal opportunity iconoclasts, gleefully thrashing the left and the right in the hardcore punk tradition of nonconformity and raw fury. Now, the band is thrilled to announce its second album ‘Megatons’ out August 21st.
With ‘Megatons’, The Barbarians of California are unleashing fresh chaos straight from the sun-soaked, teeth-gnashing heart of the Golden State. Blending raw hardcore energy, riffs by the pound, and that signature mix of ferocity and tongue-in-cheek humor, these new songs hit like a caffeine-fueled fever dream. Through and through, the band delivers unapologetic anthems that feel both brutally fun yet dangerously addictive.
“Everyone has heard of the sophomore slump,” states Stenman. “Making a second album can be a fraught process full of overthinking and self-doubt. Perhaps, the benefit of us starting this band, at this later point in our lives, relieves some of that pressure. This felt so easy, and is a seamless continuation of whatever we started with the first batch of song — just bigger and better.”
The Barbarians aren’t slowing down — they’re just getting louder, meaner, and more ridiculously entertaining. Buckle up, buttercup! It’s about to get beautifully bumpy. TBOC’s irreverrent sense of humor is readily apparent in the classroom-centered video for the new single ‘The Gnarlycore Class’.
“Sometimes when writing a new song, the goal is to land on a tempo that hasn’t been used anywhere else on the album,” Stenman says. “‘Gnarlycore’ was just that. I think Aaron has been wishing for something in this vein for a while now. This was the second to last song that we came up with for ‘Megatons’, and it seemed to come together quickly and effortlessly.”
‘Megatons’ tracklist:
‘Megatons’ tracklist:
01. Back To The Valley
02. The Gnarlycore Class
03. Vanilla Latte
04. Bomb To A Knife Fight
05. Really Really Rad
06. Megatons Segue
07. Earthquake
08. This Is Shredical
09. Hide All Your Records
10. Modern Fashion
11. Shark Out Of Water
12. I Am The Submarine