Bay Area thrash legends Vio-lence are back on the road and back in the writing room, but fans eager for a full album of new original material may need to be patient. Frontman Sean Killian has confirmed that while the creative gears are turning, the band is taking a measured approach to their next chapter—with a detour into their punk roots planned as the first offering.
In a candid conversation with Shawn Ratches of “Laughingmonkeymusic,” Killian opened up about the band’s revitalized dynamic and their strategy for 2026.
Before dropping new original tracks, Killian revealed that the band intends to pay homage to the genre that helped shape his distinctive stage persona.
“And then I love doing punk covers, so we’ll probably get a punk cover out first,” Killian told (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “Because that was my whole motivation back in the day, listening to GBH and Fear. And I think that’s where some of my attitude comes from, from watching [Fearfrontman] Lee Ving as a young man telling the crowd to f**k off. And the aggressive vocals from GBH. So that’s what all kind of drove me. So I love doing punk songs. So we will definitely have a punk song come out first with a video.”
The current iteration of Vio-lence features a formidable lineup. During their recent U.S. trek supporting Death Angel, Killian was flanked by guitarist Ira Black (Lizzy Borden, Metal Church), bassist Jeff Salgado, drummer Nick Souza, and guitarist Toby Swope.
Killian expressed relief at the stability of the group and excitement about his new writing partners, which includes Possessed guitarist Claudeous Creamer.
“It’s refreshing to finally have a solid lineup of guys,” Killian said. “And it took a while, but we’re there now. I’m writing with Ira Black, and I’m also writing with [Possessed guitarist] Claudeous Creamer. ‘Cause [Claudeous is] gonna be going with us down [to South America in early February for a tour with Forbidden and Venom Inc.]. Anytime he’s not with Possessed and we’re out, he’s with us.”
With new collaborators comes a potential shift in style. Killian acknowledged that the influx of new blood will inevitably color the music, but he assured fans that the core identity of the band remains intact.
“So, we’ll throw that punk song out, and then we’re taking our time making sure that what we’re doing is well structured and maybe expand our sound a little bit, ’cause I’m writing with new guys now. And then with Claudeous, he’s got a whole different take on music, which is great. So, our sound, it’ll change a little bit because of the people writing the music, but I don’t change. I have this adage, it’s, like, well, whatever song it is, if I sing it, it’s gonna like Vio-lence. [Laughs]”
Regarding a timeline for original music, Killian is adamant about not forcing the process.
“I don’t wanna rush writing, because I don’t wanna just put something out to put something out. So we might finish writing by August. We have some other stuff coming up too. We’ve got a big announcement next Wednesday that I’m looking forward to. And then we’re putting our summer together and some of our August, September, November stuff together now. And so we’ve got a lot of big announcements coming up.”
He also hinted at internal shifts and ambitious international touring plans, specifically targeting Eastern Europe.
“We had to make a change, and so it’ll be announced next Wednesday, which I’m really happy about, and it’s motivated me more too,” Killian explained. “And then we’re going to Russia in August. We’re gonna play Moscow and St. Petersburg, and we’re trying to add some dates to that. Decibel Touring is my booking agent out [in Europe], Enzo [Marangelli]. He’s always, ‘So, what do you wanna do next?’ And it’s, like, ‘Well, I’d love to go to Russia and some of those Baltic countries.’ And so that’s what we’re working on now for, I wanna say it’s the middle of August… So I’m looking forward to that, for sure.”
