NYHC legends Madball dropped their 10th studio album on July 24th on Nuclear Blast Records titled “Not Your Kingdom”. The Madball lineup has changed over the years since their inception in the late 1980’s with Freddy “Madball” Cricien being the one constant. When the press release came out for the new album I was a bit surprised to see that drummer Mike Justian was now in his 15th year with the band and guitarist Mike Gurnari’s tenure is now in its 7th. With longtime fill in/friend Paul Delaney now taking over the full-time bass duties Madball seems to be loaded for the next chapter. “Not Your Kingdom” remains the Madball we all know but there is a sense of revitalization as well. I woke up one morning recently and just had a flood of ideas and questions come to my head about the new Madball and fleshed out these questions in about 30 minutes time. During the editing process for this interview I remembered that the summer of 2026 is the 30 year anniversary of my initial Madball interview for In Effect Fanzine issue #9. I still remember meeting up with Freddy and (then bassist) Hoya on the corner of St Marks Place and Avenue A and just asking them questions while aiming my tape recorder in their direction while people just walked on by. Lead photo for this interview and all live photos taken by: Julien Stebel on July 28th, 2026 at Gebaude 9 in Cologne, Germany. Graphics by: Jeff Marsala
IE: This is the 10th time you have completed and released a full length album with this band. As time has passed from each release do you see yourself liking the process of creating and recording more or less?
Freddy: I have to say that with this release specifically, I really enjoyed the process. I’ve had some albums I’ve done where it was less enjoyable leading up to and during. It happens! This one was smooth and I felt very confident about the songs we were putting together. They felt organic and fresh with a hint of nostalgia. The Mike’s are a great team to write with… I guess that makes the process that much better when you’re surrounded by that kind of team and talent.
IE: What can you tell us about the album cover for “Not Your Kingdom”? The press notes give the photographer’s name but do you have any backstory as to what year or where the photo may have been taken?
Freddy: That pic is from the 70’s at Attica Prison in NY. The photographer Cornell Capa was photographing prison life after the famous or infamous Attica riots. When I came across this pic I knew immediately it was the one. At first I wasn’t sure I’d be able to use it but I reached out to the right people and secured a license. The image really speaks to a lot of the themes in the album. Metaphorically of course but yeah if you read the lyrics you’ll get what I mean. I think. I hope.
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IE: The actual lyric of “Not Your Kingdom” is on the track “What Say You” and serves up a bit of how you view overall modern world leadership. What’s the message you are trying to get across from that particular lyric?
Freddy: Yeah, there’s no doubt there’s a global issue with “leadership”. But it’s layered and deeper than some may want to accept. It’s not just about the presidents or politicians that everyone sees on tv. They’re not the ones running things. In this track I’m addressing that and some other concepts. It’s a theme that runs throughout the album, fair to say.
And yes, there’s always a message. On this track I’m asking a question and making a statement. So, it’s layered. On one hand I’m asking people what do you think about this world, our society and how it’s being run or how they’re trying to mislead/misguide our youth … and us! Are you cool with it? You complicit? For me it’s all very clear and blatant. The corruption, the deceptions etc etc. I’m also reminding people that our society has degraded and “our” morals and standards have actually gone down. We may be living in a technologically advanced era but there’s a lot of dark and disturbing stuff happening behind the veil. In the end it won’t stop me and my tribe from being sovereign in our beliefs and how we navigate through life. Being vigilant and as self-sustainable as one can be and thinking for ourselves, which is more or less how we’ve always been. You know the hardcore/punk rock way! In its true form though… not for likes or to make a fashion statement. We’ll always live “outside the box” so to speak. “You hold the keys but it’s not your kingdom”… know what I mean?
IE: A lot of this album was put together in Nashville. Assuming this was your first extended stay there what are some takeaways from the city and the American Legion post where the band filmed the video for “Rebel Kids”?
Freddy: Some of it was put together remotely and also on the road but we definitely put the final touches on it in Nashville. Very important touches. I’m currently living there so logistically it made sense and we found some really great people to work with. Andrew Baylis and Lee Rouse did an amazing job with helping us capture the vibe we were after. The city is great… I love Nashville! Good people and it’s way more diverse than people give it credit for. In every way! The legion hall was where we finished writing and putting together the record so it made sense to do “Rebel Kids” there. MJ’s dad is associated with post 82 and they allowed us to write and rehearse, free of charge. Really cool and kind people. We appreciate it very much… shout out to Mr. Justian and Kevin!
MADBALL 2026 L-R MIKE JUSTIAN, FREDDY MADBALL, PAULE DELANEY, MIKE GURNARI. PHOTO BY: DAVE CAUSA
IE: Seeing live footage of yourself still going off at shows now in your 50’s it’s obvious that you take your own physical fitness seriously. Can you give us a little insight into what your regimen is like?
Freddy: Am I 50 already?! Yikes! Ha. I appreciate the acknowledgement. I don’t really have a special or secret regimen. I do try and eat clean foods and I do pushups and body weight type of exercises, here and there. I might be joining a gym again soon but I haven’t really done that in years. I do a bit of heavy bag work, a bit of jiujitsu. That’s about it. The band itself actually keeps me the most fit, I’d say. That’s where I really get a lot of cardio and steps in!
IE: On the new album track 8 is an interlude titled “Sunrise”. On first listen it just seemed like someone flipping through radio frequencies but after repeated listens it seems to possibly have more meaning with you doing an acapela part of sorts within its minute run time. What can you tell us about track 8?
Freddy: It’s sprinkled with voice memos of my kids’ voices and singing and also all of us writing the record, basically. Memos that we would send each other. There are riffs from everyone on there… MG, MJ and also me working out “Life’s A Mural” in its infancy and me singing the original hook to “The Ride” which I wrote many many years ago. It’s all actual recordings… none of it was staged. Even the hip-hop sample is from a song that I’m working on for another project. My pal Stress really helped me capture the essence of what we were going for with this. I relayed my idea to him and he really nailed it. Same with “Rebelude”. Those are interludes, not tracks but had to be separated into tracks for playlist purposes. Originally they were attached to the songs “Rebel Kids” and “Life’s A Mural”.
MADBALL @GEBAUDE 9, COLOGNE, GERMANY JULY 28TH, 2026. PHOTO BY: JULIEN STEBEL
IE: About how many tracks did you initially enter the studio with and were there any songs that made the final cut that you maybe thought had little chance when the process started?
Freddy: If you count the intros we had about 17 tracks. The other songs were not bad at all… they just didn’t fit the flow or vibe of this record. I wouldn’t call them throwaways though. We like that we kept it all at 30 minutes.
IE: I’ve read where you recently said that with the new album Madball has “sort of reinvented ourselves without losing a bit of what we are.” Do you feel this more so with lyrics, the music or both and is there a particular track that shares this sentiment more in your opinion?
Freddy: I think it’s both! I think it’s the album as a whole and not one particular track. Sure some songs are more “traditional MB” but even those have a fresh take. The guys have a deep understanding of what Madball is, past and present and what we should sound like in 2026. We were all on the same page and that really made the process and message and vibe… come to fruition.
IE: Madball is set to start the 3rd leg of Euro runs since early May. Can you shed some light on touring in Europe, specifically in the spring and summer months and how important it is for US touring bands to have a healthy European live seen for them to spread out to?
Freddy: Europe is tremendously important to the whole thing! They’ve embraced our scene, our culture and they are huge contributors to keeping this thing alive and well. Not only by showing up at the club level and all that but also by inviting us into the festival culture and cool things like that… which sheds a light not only on our band but hardcore in general. It exposes us to different people and different crowds. Not every person there becomes a Madball fan but there’s awareness and a curiosity and it translates to the club level. America is now just starting to do that… Thankfully! We have a few cool bigger American festivals coming up. Side note… I’m referring to the bigger festivals not the hardcore festivals which is a thing as well. In the states it’s very vibrant on that level. I love my country, but America is very hype based. Things come and go. Europe is a bit more even keel and loyal. They will keep you honest as well. Meaning, bands young and old have to work hard for their spot.
MADBALL @GEBAUDE 9, COLOGNE, GERMANY JULY 28TH, 2026. PHOTO BY: JULIEN STEBEL
IE: At this stage in your career do you prefer playing bigger festival type shows or smaller club shows and has that mindset changed for you over time?
Freddy: I like both. It’s two different vibes. Most importantly is that people have fun and enjoy themselves and hopefully your music resonates with them! Size of show doesn’t really matter… it’s more the connection. I’ve had small shows that I loved and ones that I couldn’t stand. Same with festivals.
IE: You are obviously the face of this band with the two Mike’s really holding it down almost quietly now for a total of 22 years combined between them. Add in now Paul Delaney into the mix on bass. Can you give us an interesting fact on each of the other members of the current day Madball that people may not know about?
Freddy: The Mike’s are great musicians and songwriters, that goes without saying. I put them to the test and they passed with flying colors! Seriously, they rank at the very top of Madball alumni’s. But being good at your craft and/or instrument is not the only qualification for Madball. We all have to be able to live and tolerate one another when we’re out and about. We also have to have a symbiotic stage relationship. These guys are top notch on and off stage! We all have different personalities and quirks but there’s a lot of respect and a great work ethic that we all share. Paul fits into that mold perfectly as well. His abilities on bass are next level! But we also have a friendship that spans 30 years. He toured with Madball 20 plus years ago and many other times over the years. He was the most natural choice and when he was able to make the time happen, we snagged him. We’re all very happy to have him on board. He completes the puzzle.
IE: Madball has been at this now for over 38 years with world touring being a huge part of the band’s legacy. Are there still places on this planet that you have not performed at that you would love to check off the bucket list one day?
Freddy: There are many many places that we haven’t been to yet! Cuba would be cool. My mom is from there but I’ve never been. I have been to Colombia where my dad is from and those shows are always amazing. They have a very active and vibrant hardcore scene in Colombia. I don’t think Cuba does but just to go there and connect with the people through music would be awesome. Could also see some relatives.
CLICK ON IMAGES TO WATCH VIDEOS FOR TRACKS OFF OF THE NEW “NOT YOUR KINGDOM” ALBUM
