HardLore

A few weeks ago, Bo & I had the special privilege of traveling to Nashville to get an inside look into the making of DRAIN's "...Is Your Friend" U.S. tour with No Pressure, Haywire and Secret World, via our friends at Monster Energy. 

This was our first OFFICIAL "assignment" on behalf of Monster since we started working with them officially in January, and it's a bittersweet example of what was to come of this dream partnership. We're so grateful for the memories that this has created since losing our beloved Bohan Lueders, for what has now become his penultimate HardLore episode ever. 

We spent several days with the band & their crew made up entirely of hardcore musicians from bands like Rotting Out, Cosmic Joke, One Step Closer and more to give you all an inside look at their gear & production. We hope you enjoy this unique episode that was a first and last for us as a duo, where Bo’s unique knowledge and passion for gear was on full display.

Go see them near you soon.

Head to hardloremerch.com to grab a Bo memorial t-shirt for an amazing cause that we can't wait to tell you more about soon...

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00:01:44 - Chapter 1: DRAIN, Before The Storm

00:06:29 - Chapter 2: HardLore Hardware Highlight, Drain's Gear

00:48:25 - Chapter 3: They're The Crew, Meet Drain's Touring Crew

01:17:24 - Chapter 4: Drain & Co.'s Top 4 Hardcore Records

01:22:10 - Chapter 5: Day One of Tour in Dallas Texas


HardLore: A Knotfest Series, Fueled by Monster Energy
Edited by Steven Grise • Title sequence by Nicholas Marzluf
Join the HARDLORE PATREON to watch every single weekly episode early and ad-free, alongside exclusive monthly episodes.
Join the HARDLORE DISCORD for community discussions and to participate in our future Q&A episodes.
FOLLOW HARDLORE: INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, SPOTIFY, APPLE
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On April 2nd, 2026, the world lost Bo, and I lost my best friend.

I will have much more to say over time... But this episode was something that, upon time of recording (January, 2026), we decided was too intimate to post. We reviewed the initial cut (thank you Steven), and feared that once something so personal was out there, we couldn't ever take it back. We decided to store it and save it for off chance that we might some day feel comfortable posting it.

That day sadly came much sooner than either of us ever expected... This conversation, that I am now so thankful for, is a thorough look into our lives before & during the show. We came up with something like 100-150 questions before narrowing it down to this intimate conversation wherein we interviewed each other for the first, and last time.

The goal was not only to get to know each other in ways we didn't, but share something new and unique with you all. Now, all things considered, it is an absolute miracle. I expected going back through this to be painful and impossible, and it turned out to be some of the only comfort I've found since his passing. Suddenly he was here, back in the room with me, as he now is with all of you. I am writing this in haste basically on the way to his memorial, so I will let him speak for himself here now.

For Bo, Forever.

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00:00:00 - Start

00:05:32 - Where were we born?

00:14:18 - Who had the most influence on us?

00:19:46 - Chris Mills

00:21:47 - What did we learn early about money and survival?

00:27:11 - Childhood memories that shaped us

00:34:10 - What kind of kids were we?

00:44:50 - What was expected of us growing up?

00:53:19 - When did you first feel misunderstood?

01:05:12 - Our first bands and first shows

01:11:09 - When did we first feel like ourselves?

01:16:56 - Did we feel like we belonged anywhere?

01:21:45 - Anger, sadness & anxiety

01:28:43 - When did we know we wanted something more than normal life?

01:32:20 - What were our first escapes?

01:36:17 - Mistakes that taught us the most

01:38:10 - Who were you trying to impress?

01:40:55 - What did music give you that regular life didn't?

01:41:38 - First real jobs, and what they taught us

01:56:20 - What did failure look like to you?

2:00:15 - What part of adulthood do we feel unprepared for?

2:05:24 - When did you first feel competent at something?

2:07:36 - Do we feel any guilt about HardLore?

2:10:58 - When did we first feel this could work?

2:12:03 - What part of HardLore came naturally/unnaturally?

2:16:15 - What almost stopped HardLore early on?

2:17:21 - Honest first impressions of each other

2:20:41 - What do people get wrong about our dynamic?

2:22:31 - What we learn about ourselves through each other?

2:25:18 - What part of the show don't we talk about?

2:27:19 - Public perception

2:29:16 - How do you deal with criticism?

2:31:16 - What do we believe in more strongly now than ever?

2:32:43 - What responsibility do we feel towards our audience?

2:33:11 - What do you hope outlives you, what scares you the most about being remembered?

2:35:11 - What would feel incomplete if it ended now?


HardLore: A Knotfest Series, Fueled by Monster Energy
Edited by Steven Grise • Title sequence by Nicholas Marzluf
Join the HARDLORE PATREON to watch every single weekly episode early and ad-free, alongside exclusive monthly episodes.
Join the HARDLORE DISCORD for community discussions and to participate in our future Q&A episodes.
FOLLOW HARDLORE: INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, SPOTIFY, APPLE
FOLLOW COLIN: INSTAGRAM
FOLLOW BO: INSTAGRAM, TWITTER

For sponsorship opportunities, email us! [email protected]

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're back with the second half of our conversation with one of hardcore's all time greatest frontmen: Freddy Cricien AKA Freddy MADBALL.

We discuss their hectic, but iconic performance at the legendary Dynamo Open Air 1995, the evolution of the karate mosh, the classic NYHC Documentary, Demonstrate my Style, Look My Way, Hold It Down, Madball initially breaking up in the early 2000s, New York Hardcore after 9/11, and so much more... 

Thank you all for joining us for both parts of this incredible chat, thank you to Freddy for joining us and for paving the way. Hardcore lives.

Madball's next LP "Not Your Kingdom" is coming soon.

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Cool Links:

• Get 15% off DUNABLE GUITARS with code HARDLORE

• Get 10% off MILLS VINTAGE site-wide with code HARDLORE

Get 10% off GUILTY PARTY site-wide with code HARDLORE and grab some of our favorite clothing brands of all time.

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00:00:00 - Start

00:01:27 - Dynamo Open Air Festival 1995

00:10:04 - The Evolution of Moshing

00:15:53 - The NYHC Documentary/Rick Ta Life

00:34:14 - Stigma Leaving Madball

00:35:30 - DEMONSTRATING MY STYLE: Pride, Madball's Growing Influence, Agnostic Front Reunion

00:53:12 - Pardon This Interruption...

00:57:41 - LOOK MY WAY: Leaving Roadrunner, Contributing Musically, Developing the Live-isms

01:10:57 - HOLD IT DOWN: Legal Trouble, Perfecting the Madball Sound, Breaking Up

01:22:38 - September 11th, 2001

01:29:00 - The NYHC EP & The H2O Show That Brought Back Madball

01:33:30 - LEGACY: Introducing Madball to the Next Generation

01:40:23 - INFILTRATE THE SYSTEM: A Prophecy Fulfilled

01:45:52 - New York Hardcore Word Association

01:48:46 - EMPIRE: Madball in the Late 2000s

01:54:28 - Most Underrated NYHC Band of All Time

01:56:26 - HARDCORE LIVES & FOR THE CAUSE: Is There an End in Sight?

02:04:03 - Ending the Lockdown: Tompkins Square Park 2021

02:09:07 - The Future of Madball

02:11:45 - Madball Eats Good

02:17:13 - Top 4 HC Records Of All Time


HardLore: A Knotfest Series, Fueled by Monster Energy
Edited by Steven Grise • Title sequence by Nicholas Marzluf
Join the HARDLORE PATREON to watch every single weekly episode early and ad-free, alongside exclusive monthly episodes.
Join the HARDLORE DISCORD for community discussions and to participate in our future Q&A episodes.
FOLLOW HARDLORE: INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, SPOTIFY, APPLE
FOLLOW COLIN: INSTAGRAM
FOLLOW BO: INSTAGRAM, TWITTER

For sponsorship opportunities, email us! [email protected]

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’re joined by one of the marquee vocalists and frontmen in all of hardcore music: MADBALL vocalist Freddy Cricien, known to most simply as Freddy Madball.

In part 1 of this two-part 5 HOUR conversation, we discuss Freddy and Madball’s history from 1983 to 1994 - Discovering hardcore via his brother Roger Miret of Agnostic Front, starting Madball when he was just 11 years old, the “mad science” behind Ball of Destruction, following up with Droppin Many Suckers years later, and the massive endeavor of signing to Roadrunner Records at the height of the 90s hardcore boom for their debut album Set It Off… Much more to come next week.

A true landmark conversation for this show andone we’re thrilled to finally have made happen and to share with all of you. Thanks to Black Heart Barber Co. in Nashville for having us!

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Cool links:

• Get 15% off DUNABLE GUITARS with code HARDLORE

• Get 10% off MILLS VINTAGE site-wide with code HARDLORE

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00:00:00 - Start

00:00:58 - Freddy Madball

00:03:28 - Agnostic Fred: Discovering Hardcore Via Agnostic Front

00:15:02 - First Time Singing On Stage

00:16:35 - Being Dubbed "Madball" by Vinnie Stigma

00:19:31 - Finding Community in Hardcore Early, "Skinhead" Backlash

00:24:27 - Sneaking Into Shows, Getting Into Hip Hop, Finding His Own Interests in Hardcore

00:34:10 - Bad Religion, Brett Gurewitz & Hold It Down

00:41:14 - Cro-Mags & Agnostic Front Rivalry

00:43:26 - MADBALL

00:52:22 - Pardon This Interruption...

00:55:29 - BALL OF DESTRUCTION... Recording Live, Roger the Mad Scientist, "Hardcore Lives"

01:11:39 - DMS

01:21:53 - Thoughts on Krishna In Hardcore

01:24:20 - DROPPIN' MANY SUCKERS... Matt Henderson, First Madball Tours, Growing Up on Record

01:35:07 - Working With Don Fury

01:44:49 - SET IT OFF... Roadrunner Records, The 90s Hardcore Boom, Writing For the First Time


HardLore: A Knotfest Series, Fueled by Monster Energy
Edited by Steven Grise • Title sequence by Nicholas Marzluf
Join the HARDLORE PATREON to watch every single weekly episode early and ad-free, alongside exclusive monthly episodes.
Join the HARDLORE DISCORD for community discussions and to participate in our future Q&A episodes.
FOLLOW HARDLORE: INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, SPOTIFY, APPLE
FOLLOW COLIN: INSTAGRAM
FOLLOW BO: INSTAGRAM, TWITTER

For sponsorship opportunities, email us! [email protected]

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Welcome! After back to back to back to back weeks of some of our biggest and best episodes ever, we figured it was the perfect time to catch up and just chat one on one, while answering your questions... Starting off with talking about our favorite records from last year.

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Cool links:

• HardLore Official Website/HardLore Records store!

• Try AG1 at DrinkAG1.com/HARDLORE to receive a free flavor sampler kit & vitamin D/K drops 

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00:00:00 - Start

00:00:49 - Hello Welcome

00:01:24 - Top 4 Hardcore Records of 2025

00:06:04 - Time Traveling To A Past Gig

00:08:14 - Local Bands You Expected To Blow Up

00:09:55 - Favorite Korean Food Dish

00:10:37 - Melodic Hardcore Bands On the Show

00:11:50 - Adopting Senior Dogs

00:13:03 - Your Bands Being Added To A Video Game

00:18:08 - One Piece Of Gear From Rock History

00:20:52 - Talking About Crowbar

00:23:59 - Top 3 R&B Songs

00:26:28 - New Morrissey Record

00:27:16 - Making Friends In Hardcore

00:28:47 - Opening A Bar / Restaurant

00:29:55 - Post-Breakdown parts

00:32:55 - Name Your Sword

00:34:22 - Booking A Full Tour vs Playing Festivals

00:37:27 - Sleeper Band With A Near Perfect Discography

00:38:35 - Unlikely Sources Of Inspiration

00:40:05 - Hardcore Lullabies

00:41:07 - Perfect Mosh Songs

00:42:57 - 90's Bands Debuting In 2026

00:44:15 - Six Records In A Time Capsule

00:48:09 - Media Revisited That You Used To Dislike

00:49:51 - Pardon This Interruption...

00:51:22 - Rushmore of HardLore Moments So Far

00:54:26 - Last Piece Of Music To Hear Before You Die

00:57:16 - Rumble and Tied Down Lineups

00:59:08 - Favorite Scream and Halloween Movie

01:03:22 - Hellfest West

01:05:45 - Damage Inc or Dyers Eve

01:08:55 - Waffle House Order

01:10:13 - Why is Melodic Hardcore Considered The Dark Ages

01:14:17 - Master Killer Of Hardcore Sub Gengres

01:14:35 - Remaking A Movie With The Muppets and One Human Actor

01:15:50 - Summoning A Hardcore Vocalists Voice

01:17:06 - Creating A Super Group But Cant Make Hardcore Music

01:21:49 - Universal Monsters

01:23:10 - No Warning - Torture Culture

01:23:45 - Favorite Album From The Year You Were Born

01:24:05 - Moving To California

01:26:16 - Destroying The One Ring

01:28:33 - Guilty Party Recommendations

01:29:16 - Inspiration From HardLore In 2026

01:29:56 - YouTube Watch History

01:31:01 - Brandon From Big Boy

01:32:44 - Favorite Visual Artists

01:33:38 - How Do You Afford Nicer Gear As Musicians

01:34:42 - Anticipated Future Releases

01:35:51 - Youth Crew Son or Beatdown Daughter

01:36:01 - Wrestling Finisher In A Real Fight

01:36:38 - Taking Time Off From Work For Tour

01:38:42 - Favorite Non NYC NYHC Bands

01:39:31 - The Line Between Admiring and Punishing


HardLore: A Knotfest Series, Fueled by Monster Energy
Edited by Steven Grise • Title sequence by Nicholas Marzluf
Join the HARDLORE PATREON to watch every single weekly episode early and ad-free, alongside exclusive monthly episodes.
Join the HARDLORE DISCORD for community discussions and to participate in our future Q&A episodes.
FOLLOW HARDLORE: INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, SPOTIFY, APPLE
FOLLOW COLIN: INSTAGRAM
FOLLOW BO: INSTAGRAM, TWITTER

For sponsorship opportunities, email us! [email protected]

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.