Brumic might be a new name, but the people behind the band are anything but. Pulling from decades of hardcore history, the group brings together members of Endpoint, Avail, By the Grace of God, Planes Mistaken for Stars, and more—yet the project didn’t start as some grand reunion or legacy move. It began simply, with a handful of demo songs and a question.
“Brumic formed when Lee Fetzer (Endpoint, Guilt) asked if I wanted to sing on some demo songs,” vocalist Duncan Barlow tells No Echo. What followed was a long-distance collaboration that gradually took shape into something more serious. As the material developed, Barlow helped assemble a lineup that reads like a cross-section of hardcore lifers: Erik Larson (Avail, Kilara) on drums, Brian Roundtree (By the Grace of God, Mirrorless) on bass, and Chuck French (Planes Mistaken for Stars, Wovenhand) on guitar alongside Fetzer.
With members spread across multiple states, the band recorded remotely, with Ryan Patterson (Coliseum, Fotocrime) handling mixing duties. “Once we completed the EP, we found that we liked working together,” Barlow says, “so we’re forging ahead with plans to do more.”
Sonically, Brumic sits in familiar territory while still allowing room to stretch. “I suppose people might call this throwback or classic hardcore, maybe even melodic hardcore,” Barlow explains, “however, we have a couple of songs that don’t fall neatly under those labels.” Much of that comes down to Fetzer’s songwriting approach, which draws from both personal history and foundational influences.
“As far as influences, Dag Nasty is a big one. Also Gorilla Biscuits and Quicksand—pretty much any Brian Baker or Walter Schreifels,” Fetzer says. But his roots run deeper than just well-known names. “Honestly, my biggest influences have been the Louisville bands I grew up around… and also the people I played in bands with.” After years of balancing music with everyday life, Fetzer is now fully reinvested. “After a very long time of dad bands… I am getting back into putting all my effort into music.”
For Barlow, stepping back into a hardcore band after decades away meant approaching lyrics differently. “I wanted to be direct and concrete, avoiding the abstracts and vagueness of my youthful writing,” he says. The subject matter reflects that shift—less about internal angst and more about lived experience. “I feel a great deal of frustration with the direction the world is taking,” he explains, citing concerns ranging from gun policy on college campuses to environmental issues tied to rural life.
Some of that intensity was captured under especially heavy circumstances. While tracking vocals in Louisville, Barlow was dealing with the death of his brother and the chaos surrounding it. “I was furious that first night and essentially made up the lyrics to ‘Pariah’ on the spot,” he says. “I believe you can really hear my anger in that song.” It was also a moment of rediscovery. “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to sing… I hadn’t sung for a hardcore band since the ’90s. I had to tap into ideas that frustrate me to find the voice.”
The EP will be released through Roaring Forties Records, a new label that Fetzer started specifically for the project. “I had never done anything like this,” he admits. “At 55, it was an old dog learning new tricks.” With guidance from Barlow and plans to release more material—including work from his other Richmond-based bands—Roaring Forties is already shaping up to be more than a one-off.
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Brumic on social media: Instagram
Tagged: avail, brumic, by the grace of god, endpoint, planes mistaken for stars
