Cro-Mags founder and hardcore punk pioneer Harley Flanagan is officially back in the studio crafting the band’s next full-length record. To bring the new heavy material to life, the legendary bassist and vocalist has recruited Sepultura drummer Greyson Nekrutman and music producer Arthur Rizk.
Rizk has built a massive resume over the last decade, sitting behind the boards to helm acclaimed albums for bands like Kreator, Municipal Waste, Code Orange, and Soulfly.
Taking to social media on Saturday, March 7, Flanagan shared a photo of the trio hard at work in the studio. He revealed that the creative chemistry in the room has already resulted in an incredibly fast-paced and productive recording session.
“11 new Cro-Mags songs so far in just two days…”
“Two more days in the studio coming up!!! Damn… How many songs can we create in how many days!!!”
“Love these guys. It was such a positive, inspiring day!!!!”
This upcoming project will serve as the official follow-up to the 2020 Cro-Mags studio album In The Beginning. That record was notably preceded by a pair of comeback EPs in 2019, titled Don’t Give In and From The Grave.
The studio update arrives during a major milestone era for the New York hardcore legends. This past January, the band released a brand new, re-recorded version of their classic, chaotic anthem “Hard Times“. Dubbed the “Wired for Chaos Session,” the track was released to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their seminal 1986 debut album, Age Of Quarrel, as well as a documentary film bearing the same title.
Born out of the gritty Lower East Side of New York in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Cro-Mags started as the brainchild of a 14-year-old Flanagan, who was playing with The Stimulators at the time. By 1982, he had recorded the initial four-song demos—playing every instrument himself—that would eventually evolve into the blueprint for Age Of Quarrel after he connected with Parris Mayhew.
Today, their aggressive crossover sound continues to influence generations of rock and metal giants, earning high praise from major acts like Metallica, Green Day, and Dave Grohl.
When he isn’t touring the globe or writing new hardcore anthems, Flanagan balances his life as a devoted husband, father of two, and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu professor under the legendary Master Renzo Gracie.
