Death Before Dishonor are a force within the worldwide hardcore scene getting their start in Boston in the year 2000. They have brought their bruising style of hardcore around the globe with a thick discography to discover if you are new to the name. Their latest is called “Nowhere Bound” out now on Bridge Nine Records. Bryan Harris has been behind the mic since the band got started and we got him to answer these questions for us on May 26th. The rest of the DBD 2025 lineup consists of: Ben Hilton on drums, Greg Chihoski on bass, Ben “B-Roll” Kelly on guitars and Justin Viera on guitars. Lead photo by: The View Photography. Graphics by: Paul Turano.
1: Hey Bryan, where exactly are you right now and what would you usually be doing at this time of the day if you weren’t answering these questions?
Bryan: How’s it going? I would usually be at work but it’s Memorial Day and I have the day off!
2: The new DBD record is 11 songs and is 22 minutes and 53 seconds long. Can you give us who don’t perform in bands and don’t play instruments just how much hard work goes into creating a hardcore album such as your new one?
Bryan: So, on this record it started with Ben and B-Roll kinda going back and forth with riffs, parts and song ideas they recorded on their own. Luckily nowadays with technology it’s kinda easier to do that. From there they started putting the basic song ideas together musically… then we got into a rehearsal studio to iron out these ideas. They feel a little different when you’re playing ‘em loud and live. After those set of changes we then just started getting tight with them. Meanwhile me and Ben started placing lyrics to songs, then sending them to B-Roll for another set of ears. We definitely went about this record a little differently than others. Then we waited for a recording date. From the day we started recording until we had the actual record released was about another 8 months so this whole process has been a while in the making.
3: Which songs are you most excited about off of the new album and what makes them your favorites?
Bryan: That’s a tough one… every song on this record is great and is different from each other. I’m sure everyone will say that on a new record and I know I have said it about other records also but this one I will stand by that. If I had to pick one I would go with “Inherit The Pain” just because it’s the first song on the record and sets the tone for what’s to come.
4: Can you tell us something about this new record that only DBD insiders may know about?
Bryan: I’m not sure how many people know or realize it but the song “Nowhere Bound” was actually originally done in 2002 on the “True Til Death” record. Going into this record we wanted a cover song and wanted to redo an old song for B sides. After revisiting the song “Nowhere Bound” I was like if we change a few parts and re-record this I think it works in 2025. When we re-recorded it, we were psyched on how it came out and decided it wasn’t gonna be an extra and was gonna be on the record. Then when we were trying to figure out what to use for a title. “Nowhere Bound” was just too perfect for this record to not use it.
5: Where was the “Inherit The Pain” and “Overruled” videos shot? The “Inherit The Pain” video definitely looks like a place you may have had to sneak into.
Bryan: The “Overruled” video was a collection of live videos that Lee and Company Car edited and put together for us from existing footage out there. The “Inherit The Pain” video was shot in 2 places. The first place was an old psych hospital that we for sure weren’t supposed to be in. We filmed there for a couple hours until someone called the cops on us and we were told to leave! We finished the video at a warehouse that our friends in Haywire rehearse at. That video was shot and edited by Company Car as well.
6: A friend brought up the new track “Will To Fight” and how the band has always played an intense style of hardcore. Within this song the lyrics go along the lines of never giving up your will to fight. Do you find with age it is harder now to keep up that level of intensity and your will to fight or are things maybe so fucked up in the world that you still find that spark to write a song like this?
Bryan: Nah, even as we get older there will always be things that push us to make aggressive music. May not be the exact things that drove us when we were younger but there will always be things in this world that get us angry! On top of that the world being extra fucked up right now makes it a little easier lyrically.
DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR 2025 PHOTO BY: CYRILLE BELLEC
7: Can you tell us something interesting about each of the other 4 members of this band?
Bryan: Ben can recite lyrics to any given song on the radio, Greg can fix anything, B-Roll is a reality TV junkie, and Justin is a Reebok brand loyalist.
8: What gave you that initial itch to become a singer for a hardcore band?
Bryan: When I first got into hardcore I was working at a Domino’s pizza. I met one of the drivers and he was in a hardcore band called Brawl Park. I had their demo and was super into them. Anyways the drummer invited me to hang at their rehearsal space and when I went I was like ohhhh you don’t need any crazy musical talent. Just go up and scream. Their vocalist was in college in Florida so he wasn’t always at practice. I would sing covers with ‘em. So from then on I was trying to put a band together.
9: What advice would you give to someone who might have just found out about this music and culture and wanted to sing in a hardcore band?
Bryan: Just go all in. It took me a lot of practice to really dial in my voice and to understand timing. Kept on doing covers with my band, at least you have some type of guide to learn timing etc… especially if you have no musical talent like me!
10: What bands had Death Before Dishonor’s best interests in mind back in the early 2000’s when you guys were just starting out?
Bryan: First it started with other local bands we were coming up with such as Six Of Fire, Cease 2 Exist, Back Of Tha Neck, and C.O.A. to name a few. Then we started meeting people out of state and we started trading shows etc… Bands like Dysphoria, Punishment, Strength For A Reason, Mushmouth, Shattered Realm, Redline, Nourish The Flame, Blood In Blood Out, The Killer, Ringworm, Full Blown Chaos, Sworn Enemy, Death Threat… there are so many but that’s some that come to mind that looked out for us.
11: Do you remember what the first couple of hardcore records or CD’s you got were and who within your circle of friends was the one who helped bring it into your life?
Bryan: Agnostic Front “One Voice”, Madball “Set It Off”, Biohazard “Urban Discipline” are some of the first records I got that were hardcore and ones that stood out. I also started getting mixed tapes from a few people I skateboarded with. I initially found hardcore on my own through videos on the original Headbangers Ball on MTV. Then I would buy any tape or record that looked hardcore or ones that I read in the thanks list of ones that I had bought that I was into.
12: What was the first hardcore show you remember attending and what do you remember about it?
Bryan: First show I went to was in either ‘92, or ‘93 but it was at Axis in Boston. It was Biohazard, Stompbox, and Reason Enough. I remember that it was wild and kinda scary but it sucked me in. I loved it! Another thing that stuck out was that people from the bands were just around the show, not just backstage. To me that was wild because if you went to a mainstream concert you would never see band people just hanging and watching the show with the general public.
13: This band has toured all over the world and has hit a ton of places away from your home base in Massachusetts. What are some of your favorite cities or countries to consistently go back to and can you give us a bucket list of a couple of more places that the band has not played yet that you are dying to get to?
Bryan: That’s tough to pick favorites when there are so many but I would go with Boston for the U.S. because it’s home. Berlin for international… it’s a great city for hardcore but also the city is amazing and we have always had a great connection there. A few places I would love to play that we haven’t yet are Alaska, Hong Kong (China), Johannesburg (South Africa).
14: Name a “sleeper” city where you got totally shocked by a show where you didn’t think it would be as good as it turned out to be?
Bryan: There would always be sleeper cities that popped up through the years and had a strong scene for a bit. Johnson City, TN, Baton Rouge, LA, Knoxville, TN to name a few. We haven’t been to some of those in a bit and could be great now but back in the day those were sleeper cities. Recently I would say Boise, Idaho. We played there on a Monday and there were so many kids at the show and it was wild. Almaty Kazakhstan, we played there for the first time a year ago… we were also one of the first core bands to go there so I didn’t know what to expect and it was wild. People knew the words… crazy energy… unreal!
15: When packing for a tour what are some things you absolutely cannot leave the house without?
Bryan: I don’t have too many things I need. If I have my headphones and my phone I’m good to go. Comfortable clothes and sneakers for the airport are a must… and going to Europe I never leave without my portable fan!
16: Considering that DBD tours often are there any younger or newer hardcore bands that you have gotten into?
Bryan: For sure… Gumskab, Vile Mind, With Hate, Suicide Eyes, Through And Through, Neolithic, Thrive, Thin Ice.
17: Three favorite TV shows of all time?
Bryan: The Wire, The Sopranos, and Lost!
DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR IN ESSEN, GERMANY MARCH 8, 2025. PHOTO BY: THE VIEW PHOTOGRAPHY
18: What kind of more mainstream music do you like to listen to that might surprise people?
Bryan: I am super into classic rock, 80’s new wave, and even into some old outlaw country music.
19: Do you remember how the name Death Before Dishonor came about and did it immediately hit you like “that’s it”? Also were you aware at the time that Supertouch was originally called Death Before Dishonor?
Bryan: When we started DBD we didn’t have a name… we bounced so many different ideas and none really stuck. I was going to get “Death Before Dishonor” tattooed on my chest… I had mentioned that at rehearsal and we said “that’s it”. So that became the band name and I didn’t end up getting it tattooed because of that haha! At that time I definitely did not know that Supertouch was called DBD. I had heard of Supertouch but not DBD. It was also pre-internet so you couldn’t just Google stuff. I was also pretty into the history of hardcore so I’m actually surprised I never heard of ‘em. I think they played a handful of shows and only did a demo or a 7 inch or something so maybe that’s why I never heard of ‘em at the time.
20: What’s on deck for DBD as we head into the summer months? I see you have some tours set up in June and August. Can you tell us about those and maybe give us some ideas where else you may be heading?
Bryan: We have quite a bit for the rest of the year… In June we will go to the West Coast for a couple weeks with Haywire. Then we play the Rumble in Chicago on our way home. In August we do a 10 day run with Street Power around This Is Hardcore Fest. In September we hit Eastern Canada for a couple shows. In October we play a festival in Mexico, then a Texas run. November into December we will be all over Europe!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR INFO, VIDEOS, MERCH, TOUR TIX & MORE!
DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR ARTWORK BY: @KUBINECA