Idaho metallic hardcore trio Ingrown are upset, and they let you know all about it all over their killer debut album, Gun. The record should please fans of Nails, but could also find some love from people who dig on His Hero Is Gone or even Sick of It All. That’s just how this band rolls, and to find out a bit more about that, we caught up with vocalist/guitarist Ross Hansen and found out what five heavy albums changed his life.
Rudimentary Peni – Farce (1982)
The first time I ever played a song live in a band was opening with “Bloody Jellies” with my three-piece (two-piece at the time) called 1d when I was 13. I didn’t know many bands other than Jerry’s Kids and shit, but boy was Rudi P huge to me. Such an inspiration hearing how insane and dark only three guys can sound. Totally opened my eyes, like, “Oh, shit, I can just do vocals too? Damn, fuck this, let’s do a three-piece.” “Bloody Jellies” scared the hell outta me when I first heard it but something about the demented drive in it made me unable to stop playin’ along to it.
No Comment – Downsided (1982)
When I was 16, Mike from Hummingbird of Death gave me a CD of No Comment’s Downsided along with KORO’s 8 Songs For a Grave Age EP and the blasting hooked me immediately. My first thoughts hearing No Comment excited my love for screaming shit as fast as you can alongside brutally fast drums. I didn’t know what the hell blasting was, but it’s all I wanted to hear. Just like when I first heard the manic speed on the Dirty Rotten LP, thanks to my dad’s recommendations. Throughout listening to Downsided all I remember thinking was that I didn’t know shit could sound like this and that you could do this to hardcore. Opened a door for what the hell I can get away with and made me wanna play and play. Made me never wanna stop going as wild as we possibly could with songwriting and never be afraid of a curveball.
25 Ta Life – Friendship Loyalty Commitment (1999)
Now that’s a fuckin’ singin’ voice if you ask me. Playing THUG 2 in elementary school, “Over the Years” from the soundtrack stuck out like a psycho maniac fucker who didn’t give a shit how crazy he sounded. He had like five different voices; I didn’t know what was going on. Later in the years, when I was full-speed ahead into hardcore, I couldn’t stop listening to that record. Inspired so much diversity with all that shit for me, especially vocals. Couldn’t be a bigger fan.
State of Confusion – 6.3 Million Acres (1986)
Skating is what started my love for hardcore, and discovering my dad’s shredded ’86 Powell Peralta deck with a Motörhead sticker on top caught my eye more than anything in my life. Him showing me how to skate and then revealing his old band that he played in was the beginning of my journey and I’ve never heard better hardcore since. The drumming especially—hit as hard as you can at all times or don’t hit at all!
Negative Approach – Negative Approach (1982)
Discovering this band thanks to the “Why Be Something You’re Not” video, that was really when I resonated with the rage of a band’s lyrics, more than anything I’d heard before. The track “Nothing” is all you need and “Ready to Fight” can’t be beaten.
