Band: XZNZO
From: Whittier, California
Their formation story:
(Xavier, vocals): "XZNZO originally started as a solo project back in 2012 after I left a death metal band I was fronting as a vocalist. I’ve always been a hardcore kid at heart, so I wanted to make something that felt more raw, more fun, and less technical. I started writing songs and recording vocals on my own, but the project was shelved for over a decade when I stopped playing music after my daughter was born. I honestly thought I was done with music for good.
"That changed when a longtime friend I used to go to shows with as a teenager asked me to play second guitar in his band, Cinderblock CA. I learned their material, started playing shows again, and we ended up recording a song I wrote called 'King of the Ring.' I even did two vocal parts on it — my first time on the mic since 2012. A lot of people didn’t even know I used to do vocals.
"Around that time, my friend Jordan (who was in Cold View) and I started talking about the old XZNZO idea. He pushed me to finally bring it to life and track something. That turned into THE XZNZO EXPERIENCE EP. I wrote and tracked all the instrumentals except drums and laid down all the vocals, and had a bunch of homies come through for guest spots. At first, it was just meant to exist online, but people kept hitting me up asking when I was going to be playing these songs live. I knew I wanted to hear this shit live myself so the search for members began.
"I put together a lineup of people I’ve known for years and musicians I’ve always respected, and it just naturally clicked. That was 2023–2024. Fast forward to now, and in less than two weeks, we’re playing Death or Glory at 1720, sharing the stage with bands like Cold As Life, Strife, Ignite, Scalp, Section H8, Pull Your Card, Desmadre, La Pobreska, Load Tha Nine, Barrio Slam, Contract Killer, and Jack-Knife."
Their sound in their own words:
"Heavy. Straight up. I’m not here to write pop records or water anything down. I know what I want to play, and I know what people want to hear, and that’s simply heavy music while just being myself and showcasing samples of other shit I’m into.
"A lot of it comes from real-life experiences, hip-hop, samples, and shit that just makes you wanna mosh too. I try not to focus on what everyone else is doing, you know? I just focus on staying in my lane, making sure XZNZO sounds like XZNZO."
Latest release info:
"We just dropped a video for a new single called 'Smile Now, Cry Later.' It’s a no-bullshit, straight-to-the-point song that I wrote knowing it was time to start putting new material out. We filmed the video outside The Green Turtle, a legendary spot from the 2008–2010 era where so many important bands played.
"I feel it was important to tie it back to where many of us came from. XZNZO is really about showing pride for Whittier and the 562, especially since not much is happening out here right now. We’re trying to bring that energy back and put the area back on the map."
Future plans:
"We’re playing Death or Glory Fest at 1720 in Los Angeles on 1/24, and then Fight For Life Fest at The Haven in Pomona on 2/7 (Day 2 of the fest). We also have some out-of-state shows in the works, which we’ll announce soon. On top of that, we’re actively working on tracking new music. So expect a new EP in the next few months."
What other bands from their region should we check out?
"Hatespeech, Rob the Dead, Veins of Black, Execute, Barrio Slam, Load Tha Nine, Jack-Knife, and Killspree. All of these bands are holding it down for the scene right now. We got nothing but love for all these bands."
XZNZO on social media: Instagram
Tagged: xznzo
