“I think it’s time for the type of hardcore that Cold Kiss is playing,” says Adam Merendino. “I think that’s on the horizon.”
Merendino plays guitar in the Albany, New York, hardcore band, which has been hammering away for five years. With a 2022 demo cassette and a pair of digital-only promo tracks under their belts, the group is gearing up for the vinyl release of their new six-song EP, Dream to Rest, on LDB Records.
Cold Kiss have been staples of the Albany scene, playing a style of hardcore that focuses as much on heavy mosh as on attention-to-detail songwriting. While the influence of local legends like Stigmata and Dying Breed can be heard, bands like Trapped Under Ice and Madball played a greater role in shaping the four-piece’s approach to Dream to Rest. Tightly defined structures, creative transitions, ripping solos, and heavy-as-hell breakdowns are the foundation.
The quartet has been relatively quiet, stepping away from shows to focus on writing, but these six new songs make it clear they’re not going anywhere. No matter how busy life gets, Albany Hardcore is always in their blood.
After a show that Merendino booked in Cohoes, New York, he and Cold Kiss drummer Ben Shaw sat down with us outside the venue to talk about Dream to Rest, along with their other band, Evil Mind.
Can you give a brief history of Cold Kiss and how you got to this point of releasing this record?
(Ben Shaw, drums): I’m from Syracuse originally, and we’ve probably known each other for about 15 years. I ended up moving to Albany, then the pandemic happened. When everything opened up, I went to see Dying Fetus and Terror and ran into Adam. He was like, “What are you doing here?” and I said, “I live in Albany now—I’ve been here for three years.” Then he said we should start a band. I hadn’t played drums in about three years, but I bought a kit and started jamming—that’s what started Cold Kiss.
(Adam Merendino, guitar): "We were jamming in the basement of my house, and originally were going to call it How It Is after the Biohazard song. The joke was that we were going to write “Shades of Grey” by Biohazard 20 times.
The original inspiration was Biohazard, Reaper Records, and TUI. At the time—and even now—there was a lot of heavy stuff and a lot of metalcore, which we both liked in small doses, but no one was playing the style we wanted.
We wrote three songs and sent them to Kyle [Chard, vocals], because we figured his vocals would sound sick over them. The band has been going for over five years, and it’s been a rotating door with bass players. Now we have a solid four with our friend Garret [Smith], who was in NOIR.
We did the demo EP in 2022, then put out a two-song promo in 2023. After that, we really started writing.
(Ben): We took a break from playing shows for about six months to write something new. We were due. It gave us time to really concentrate and make something we enjoy—and hopefully people enjoy too.
You mentioned Biohazard early on, but you don’t really sound like them. How did the band’s sound evolve?
(Adam): There are aspects of Biohazard in there, but other influences shine through more—like Madball and Trapped Under Ice. Anything Mike Dijan (Crown of Thornz, Breakdown) was involved in was a big inspiration.
I wouldn’t call us directly influenced by Biohazard anymore. When writing the new record, we tried to incorporate a pop structure—verse-chorus-verse-chorus—with memorable riffs.
One band that really influenced me was Kyle’s old band, Born Low. They had a lot of riffs—no repeating parts. I spent a lot of time listening to Madball, especially the [guitarist] Matt Henderson records. Those guys were basically writing pop songs—big choruses, tight structure.
There’s structure there, but also a lot of interesting transitions.
(Ben): We always try to keep it interesting, but also give it emotion—something with life. We’re playing what we enjoy.
(Adam): At the core, there’s a pop structure, but we build on it. On paper, verse-chorus sounds boring, but you add bridges, mosh parts—it becomes something else.
(Ben): Yeah, you need the flour and eggs—but also the frosting.
(Adam): Exactly… though I don’t even like cake.
How did the songwriting develop from earlier material to this release?
(Adam): I do most of the writing. I’ve gotten much better at demoing at home and programming drums. This time, everything was demoed first.
I spent a lot of time listening—not to bands, but to specific guitar players like Matt Henderson and Mike Dijan. I’d study transitions and structure—how choruses come back, how parts connect.
We also had more time. We all have full-time jobs, families—we’re not a touring band. So we took our time refining everything.
(Ben): That’s why we stepped away from shows—to really focus on writing. It’s hard to do both at the same time when time is limited.
(Adam): One song, “Development Hell,” we thought was done. Then Kyle came in, hummed a new part, and we added it. Now I can’t imagine the song without it. There’s this idea—“better is better.” Doesn’t matter who wrote it—if something improves the song, you use it.
READ MORE: A Life In Hardcore: Franklin Rhi (Crown of Thornz, 108, Shelter)
Is there a lot of back-and-forth when deciding what works?
(Ben): Definitely. We test everything—how many times a part repeats, whether to add a bridge, what flows best. Sometimes it’s frustrating, but it’s worth it.
The recording sounds great—everything is dialed in.
(Adam): Ryan Slowey [Tree Walker Audio] has recorded almost every serious band I’ve been in since 2013. This time, we booked more time—four days instead of two—and really prepared. I spent a lot of time beforehand testing gear—amps, pedals—figuring out how I wanted the record to sound.
(Ben): Recording was fun but stressful. Getting drum tones right took time. It’s always weird being in a new studio, even if it’s a great one.
(Adam): In the end, it’s the best thing we’ve done. Credit to the studio, to us, and to Slowey—he understood exactly what we wanted.
This is your first vinyl release and first time working with a label. How did that come together?
(Adam): I felt these songs were strong enough that someone would want to put them out. Through booking shows, I have a big network, so I sent the songs around. Our friend Harrison [Sacco]—from Broken Vow—was on tour wearing a Cold Kiss hoodie. Tyler Short from Inclination/LDB Records saw it and was like, “That band is sick.” It turns out he already knew Kyle from Born Low.
I sent Tyler a rough mix—he uses a flip phone, so I emailed him—and he was immediately into it. One of their releases fell through, and he offered us the spot. We talked for twenty minutes about moshing, and that was it.
(Cold Kiss bassist Garrett walks up)
(Adam): What do you have to say?
(Garrett, bass): It’s gonna be great. I love being in Cold Kiss. People are going to love it.
You also have another band, Evil Mind. What’s going on there?
(Ben): We just recorded. Originally, it was going to be four songs, but we ended up with six.
(Adam): It started with Spencer [Marzello] from Trife Life. We had a friend pass away, reconnected, and started writing. Eventually Ben joined on drums. The sound pulls from Missing Link, Hatebreed, Merauder, and Dying Fetus—but it doesn’t sound like any one thing. It’s just heavy.
What’s next for both bands?
(Ben): A few local shows for both bands to remind people we’re still active. We’re hoping to do a Cold Kiss weekend run this summer.
(Adam): I think it’s time for the type of hardcore that Cold Kiss is playing. There’s been a lot of heavy and metalcore, and now there’s a resurgence of democore and old NYHC sounds. I think the Reaper Records era is coming back—and we might be in the right place at the right time.
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Dream to Rest is now streaming, with vinyl pre-orders available through LDB Records.
Cold Kiss on social media: Instagram
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