BLOODCLOT: Knotfest Premieres âWar Castlesâ From Band Led By Former Cro-Mags Vocalist With Current/Ex Members Of Sick Of It All, Madball, Quicksand; Souls LP Nears Release Via Upstate Records

photo by Steven J. Messina

BLOODCLOT, the New York hardcore/metal outfit led by iconic vocalist, author, and triathlete, John âBloodclotâ Joseph (formerly of Cro-Mags), will release its third LP, Souls, through Upstate Records in December. Today, Knotfest is currently hosting the worldwide exclusive premiere of the recordâs second single, âWar Castles.â

The convergence of long-running NYHC icons culminating on Souls shows BLOODCLOT delivering its heaviest and most detrimental record yet. The recording lineup sees John Joseph here joined by guitarist Tom Capone (ex-Quicksand, Beyond, Bold), bassist Craig Setari (Sick Of It All, ex-Youth Of Today, Agnostic Front), and drummer Darren Morgenthaler (Maximum Penalty, ex-Madball).

Souls is dedicated to longtime friend and bandmate, Todd Youth. The album was produced by Laz Pina of Ill NiÃ±o, recorded by Johnny âPyroâ Lafuentes, except for the cover of Bad Brainsâ âHow Low Can A Punk Get?â which was recorded at Found Soundation NYC, mixed by Kyle McAulay, the bass for the song tracked by Manuel Carrero. The record was mixed and mastered by Chriss Collier (Korn, Prong, Whitesnake) and its layout/design handled by Kim Cangemi and Darren Morgenthaler.

With the new Souls single âWar Castles, John Joseph writes, “The song is a metaphor.Â There haveÂ been countless wars for profit overÂ the decades – all carefully orchestratedÂ and planned by the ‘so-called’ elite. The men with crookedÂ minds whoÂ hide behind the curtain. The media are their knights in shining armor doing their dirty work.Â And we are treated as serfs.Â It’s also about the other war going on. Their war for the minds of the masses, for total control, in particular, of the youth. Poisoning them with so much garbage – and the indoctrination begins early on.Â As the lyrics state, âMainstream manipulation slaughters the youth, twisting reality away from the truth. Rolling over souls just for their goals, maniacs man the technology controls.âÂ They control the machines. They control the narratives. They do not care who is affected, injured or killed, because they don’t value human life.Â Now we see global tensions rising.Â There is evenÂ talkÂ of nuclear weapons being used.Â NYC is running tv spots on how to surviveÂ a nuclear event. You don’tÂ survive; you fucking die.”

â…Souls proudly asserts the collectiveâs NYHC pedigree, combined with the tenacity of early thrash,â Knotfest writes with the songâs premiere, writing of the song itself, âPreviewing the pummel packaged on Souls, âWar Castlesâ showcases the band at their most hostile. Rife with scathing social commentary, the relentless pace of the track sees BLOODCLOT double down on the intensity that has made them such an enduring outfit.â

Stream BLOODCLOTâs savage âWar Castlesâ first right now through Knotfestâs premiere RIGHT HERE.

Upstate Records will release Souls LP on December 16th, on limited edition Black And White Splatter 12â vinyl, CD, and digtially. Digital preorders are live at Bandcamp HERE and digital presaves HERE. Physical/merch preorders will be posted on November 4th. Also watch the video for the title track HERE.

Watch for additional audio previews of the album and more over the weeks ahead.

Additionally, BLOODCLOT confirms that Christian Olde Wolbers (Fear Factory) has joined the lineup for the bandâs next album, which will be recorded shortly and released in 2023.

Northern New York-based metallic hardcore label Upstate Records teams up with Pitchfork Hardwear to proudly welcome BLOODCLOT (a.k.a. BLOODCLOT!), an American hardcore/punk/crossover band based out of New York City, led by John Joseph. The bandâs origin dates to the early 1980s when its lineup doubled as roadies and provided opening support for the legendary Bad Brains.

In 2008, BLOODCLOT transformed from an intermittent live act, manifesting itself as a full-force studio entity, and independently released their Burn Babylon Burn! debut. Nearly a decade later, John Joseph recruited a lineup of scene veterans including Joey Castillo (formerly of Queens Of The Stone Age, Danzig, and more), Nick Oliveri (formerly of Kyuss, Queens Of The Stone Age, and others), and the late Todd Youth (Danzig, Warzone, Murphyâs Law) to record the bandâs second LP, Up In Arms, which saw the band sign to Metal Blade Records for its release.

2022 sees the release of the bandâs third album, Souls, which sees BLOODCLOT not only delivering the expected classic NYHC sound its members have all been elemental in helping create over the past three decades or more, but notes of Slayer, Venom, Dark Angel, Kreator, and the early days of thrash/crossover push their way to the forefront of several tracks, while others infuse more modern metal elements, punk, and more.