Chained is a hardcore band formed in Thomasville, North Carolina, in mid-2019, but their roots go back further. Most members had previously played together in xHONORx, so when the opportunity arose to make music again, the decision was easy.
“We’ve had a few member changes over the years, but we feel our current lineup is the strongest version of Chained since we formed,” vocalist Phillip Gibson tells me. “We knew from day one that we wanted to advocate and write songs that raise awareness of mental health and its importance.”
Musically, Chained deal in heavy, emotionally charged hardcore built with the live setting in mind. Gibson points to Desolated’s The End, Missing Link’s Watch Me Bleed, and xWEAPONx’s discography as influences on the band’s newer material, but their biggest inspiration comes from closer to home.
“We try to stay as aggressive as possible. We want our live show to feel explosive from start to finish. We strive for high energy. If the crowd isn’t having a good time and connecting with what we’re doing, then we’re not doing it right,” Gibson says. “We all pull influence from different things, but our biggest influence is our scene. North Carolina hardcore will always be our biggest driving force.”
Chained recently self-released the two-song I’ve Seen the World Promo ’26, a preview of the full-length they’re currently working on for next year.
“‘Link 2 Link’ is emotionally driven by personal experiences with depression — the struggles of feeling like you’re stuck wandering for your purpose and figuring out that it’s okay to not be okay,” explains Gibson. “‘Chained to My Will’ is rooted in our straight edge beliefs. It’s based on my experiences seeing my family fall apart because of addiction over the years. I navigate so many emotions of resentment and forgiveness throughout this song.”
For Gibson, Chained’s surroundings continue to give the band plenty of reasons to keep moving forward. He sees hardcore throughout North and South Carolina as particularly healthy right now, with strong shows and a long list of bands deserving more attention.
“The Carolinas, North and South, are booming right now. I feel like every show is strong and every band is absolutely killing it,” he says.
“Some underrated bands that people should keep an eye on are Too True, Get Wise, Jiu Jitsu, Vow of Vengeance, Bay St. Beatdown, Broken Bonds, Shot With a Gun, Prison Planet, Respair, End of Your Rope, Vanta, Overturn, Reality, Dangerous Game, Twisted Fate, Anticipate, Marked for Death, Lucky Feeling, and Root of Evil. I could continue to name so many other bands as well. The Carolinas are up.”
Chained will hit the road with Full Nelson and Ticket to Heaven next month, followed by a shorter run in December that has yet to be announced.
Beyond the shows and upcoming LP, Gibson hopes the band can encourage people to become active participants in their own hardcore communities — and to look out for one another in the process.
“We strongly encourage anyone who wants to get involved in their hardcore scene to do it. Start a band, start a zine, do photography, and keep showing up and showing out,” Gibson says. “Mental health is so important, and we’ve seen many people we know and look up to leave this world far too soon. Reach out and lean on your loved ones.”
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Chained on social media: Instagram
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