Bounty Hunter call Salt Lake City home, but their story starts in the early 2000s Las Vegas hardcore scene. Formed in 2024, the band draws from the stripped-down, direct style that vocalist Zach Salyer grew up with: fast songs, sing-alongs, mosh parts, and sharp two-step breaks.
Throughout the band's new EP, On a Warpath, Zach weaves in themes of friendship, perseverance, and the realities of addiction and recovery. For the singer, hardcore has been part of his life for more than two decades. Growing up in Vegas, he was introduced to the scene by his older brother, known as “Gremlin,” and members of the local hardcore band Folsom. “LVHC is the scene I was raised in,” Zach tells No Echo. “From about the age of 11, so 2002, I’ve been fully involved in the hardcore scene.”
When Zach moved to Salt Lake City during the COVID era, he crossed paths with guitarist Sam, who shared his vision for a band grounded in classic hardcore. “A friend introduced me to [guitarist] Sam Primrose at a show one night in SLC,” he says. “After talking and giving ideas to each other, we decided to start the band.”
Bounty Hunter's moniker came from a place few would expect. “I got the name from watching Star Wars and always liking Boba Fett as a feared bounty hunter.” When Sam sent over the first song, 'Last Laugh,' the direction was set. “The style hit exactly what we wanted sound-wise,” says the singer.
After a few lineup changes, Bounty Hunter now includes Zach on vocals, Sam Primrose and Jose Valle on guitars, Malcom "Murphy" Hodge on bass, and Ian Mack on drums. Unlike many newer hardcore bands who draw from a wide range of influences, Bounty Hunter make no apologies for their approach.
“Our sound is 100% 2006 straight-up hardcore, but for 2026,” the Bounty Hunter vocalist explains. Folsom, Terror, Knuckledust, and Fight Like Hell are among the band’s core influences. The hardcore scenes in Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Inland Empire, and Central Valley also continue to shape how they see things.
One record in particular stands out. “A huge album of influence for me personally is The Revelation from xDisciplex A.D.,” says Zach. “From the guitar tones to the catchy two-steps and lyrics, it’s everything I enjoy in a hardcore album.”
On a Warpath was tracked entirely in-house (literally), before being sent to familiar names in hardcore production. “We recorded everything in Sam’s studio he has at his house, then sent it to be mixed and mastered,” Zach says. “Andy Nelson did the mix, and Brad Boatright at Audiosiege did the mastering.” The EP also features guest spots from Chooch of Price of Life and Ty of No Leash.
Lyrically, On a Warpath moves between scene-focused themes and personal struggles. “The first three songs are more about brotherhood and friendships within the hardcore scene,” Zach explains. “The last two have a lot more meaning behind them.”
A lot of that comes from Zach’s own experience with heroin addiction.
“I struggled with heroin addiction in my late 20s. I was a lucky one who was able to see I had a problem with addiction and get the help I needed to overcome it and sustain long-term recovery. A lot of the theme is about me overcoming my addiction and downfalls in life to become the best version of myself.”
Salt Lake City’s hardcore community has a long history and a new wave of bands, and Bounty Hunter are right in the middle of it. “The scene is strong as ever,” says Zach. “It’s been cool to see the growth the last few years out here. Just a great mix of old and new kids all supporting and making the scene what it is.”
He points to Skin Show, Recidivist, xForeverWarx, Mask, Words of Contempt, and My Pet Spider as newer bands to watch, while also giving credit to longtime locals like Crowkiller, Aftermath of a Train Wreck, and Cherem. Behind the scenes, Wild West Booking gets credit for keeping things moving. “They’ve put in an immense amount of work to keep this scene rolling.”
Bounty Hunter’s next few months are packed. They’re heading out on a West Coast run with Load tha Nine, Pain Clinic, and No Leash, then joining Wisdom In Chains, Animal Haus, and Fools Game in Pennsylvania before closing out the summer at Endless Fires Fest in Syracuse, New York.
New music is already in the works. “As for new material, we plan on putting out two songs in the winter.”
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Bounty Hunter on social media: Instagram
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