Hardcore band takes heaviness to a whole new level!
From Southern California, hardcore band Initiate have just signed with Blue Grape Music. They formed back in 2016, with their music blending elements of hardcore, alternative, metal, and indie. Their inspirations include Hum, Deftones, Jane’s Addiction, Rage Against The Machine, Failure, and Paramore.
Initiate have played festivals, support, and headline gigs all over the US and EU with bands like The Wonder Years, Stick To Your Guns, and Madball. They recently played a set at Outbreak in Manchester, with vocalist Crystal also joining La Dispute on stage for their set, and they also appeared at Warped Tour.
New EP ‘With Love // With Rage’ released on 7th August 2026 with 5 incredibly heavy tracks. It was produced by longtime collaborator and producer Zach Tuch (Silverstein, Knocked Loose).
Meet Initiate:
Crystal Pak – Vocals
Manning Gray – Guitar
Draven Carter – Guitar
Michael Morales – Bass
John Hodge – Drums
Setting the tone, a galloping punk beat tramples swells of feedback on the opener ‘Burn After Reading‘. You can practically hear Crystal grit her teeth as her acidic delivery burns right through a whole layer of distortion, going on to lament, “Can’t recognize the person I became.” “‘Burn After Reading’ represents both Love and Rage,” she explains. “It’s a breakup song, and it’s super personal to me.” “I was on the hunt for pretty chords, so it would sound a little different,” Mike reveals. “It has some aggression, but it’s beautiful in places.”
Second single video ‘Delusions’ went live on 7th August, to celebrate the launch of the ‘With Love // With Rage’ EP. Uneasy cymbals skitter, and a frantic chug nearly sputters out of control on this venomous song. Crystal notes, “It’s my anger at the system, but I’m also making sure this anger doesn’t blind me from the joys in the world.”
Then, there’s ‘Shadowboxing‘. The rhythm slows, guitar trudges ahead, and Crystal admits, “I don’t want to die. I just want to disappear.” She elaborates, “This is like written documentation of the way my brain works and how dark it can get when you’re in a dark place. You’re basically boxing with yourself.”
The band released the single ‘Numb With Pain’ on 9th July 2026, with a music video directed by Bella Petro. “When I looked back at the lyrics, everything reads as a letter, either to another person in my life, my friends, or myself,” reveals Crystal. “However, a letter to a friend would be signed off ‘With love’ not ‘With rage.’ I intentionally wrote these songs, so they spoke to these two opposing feelings: love and rage. You can tell which tracks spill to which side.”
‘Future Saving Grace‘ clearly elucidates Initiate’s evolution. A loose bassline gives the track a distinct bounce. From there, it crescendos towards a call-and-response between melodic instrumentation and guttural vocals punctuated by distant piano and hypnotic humming. “It’s definitely anthemic,” Mike says. “Our non-hardcore influences came along for the ride on this one. We definitely went into new territory, and it sounds so big.” “The piano was the perfect ending,” Crystal continues. “In terms of meaning, it addresses self-love.”
Well, that certainly was an experience! Extremely loud and punchy with a lot of passion, anger, and rage. I fucking love it! This band takes heaviness to a whole new level. Intense, chaotic, raw, ferocious, vicious, and full of emotion, what more can I say? It has some melodic moments within both the music and vocals, still holding that hardcore energy. Powerful guitar riffs and basslines, rapid drumbeats, and guttural screams, this band knows how to show off their heaviest side! They are a band I will definitely be checking out more.
“Hardcore doesn’t have to solely express anger,” Crystal leaves off. “There are so many complex emotions you can have beyond ‘Fuck my ex’ or ‘Fuck the world’. The human spectrum of coexisting feelings is massive, and that’s a beautiful thing.”
This EP is one you have to play if you need to let out a lot of anger. It definitely helped me! I will be listening to this EP every time I feel this way. Go check out Initiate and experience it for yourself!
Listen to ‘With Love // With Rage’ HERE and download HERE
Initiate will be supporting Senses Fail and Koyo this Autumn & Winter – dates HERE
Main Photo Credit / All Photos: BELLA PETRO
- Burn After Reading
- Delusions
- Shadowboxing
- Numb the Pain
- Future Saving Grace
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