I’ve seen some of the most vicious-sounding bands come out of the North Shore of Massachusetts, and on my infrequent visits to Lynn, I’m always reminded why. On the right day, driving on the stretch of road that leads into Lynn is one of the few places I’ve been to that makes you feel like the last person alive in a zombie apocalypse and it doesn’t get better once you get over the bridge. It’s a rare sight to behold in Massachusetts as every square mile of this land becomes more and more gentrified and wiped clean of the character it once had but the North Shore’s pride in its landmarks and history make it one of the few holdouts left in the Boston area.
That character has bled into the music the area’s produced, some of our most grim sounding bands crawl out of the manholes of the streets and remind us why we’re doing this. One of the newest additions out of this grim side of Boston is In Contempt. The group is made out of the ashes of the band Die Nameless and completed with the addition of Crash Sanchez from Face First.
With a sincere pride in their North Shore musical compatriots, In Contempt make some of the most nasty and all-around dispiriting music that is in line with their locale. Influenced equally by classic grindcore bands like Repulsion and Napalm Death as well as old-school Boston hardcore bands like Blood For Blood, Death Before Dishonor, and Lynn’s One Less, whom guitarist Jose cited as “the reason I even play guitar.”
In Contempt played their first show back in August before having any music out (a rarity these days) opening alongside Crash’s band, Face First, and Through N Through at the Middle East Upstairs. The following month they dropped their three-song demo and played a hometown show at a DIY venue in Lynn. Playing alongside Gumskab, Neighborhood Shit, Secret Work, Eyes Pressed In, and Silent Spring, the cramped space had no idea what it was in for.
The finale of their set resulted in two smashed walls and a lot of violent moshing from both the packed audience and vocalist Tyler who never misses an opportunity to knock some heads around in the pit. “If you’re not enjoying the music you’re playing to the point that you want to go in the crowd then why play it?” Tyler remarked.
The demo In Contempt released back in September features a brooding production style that is reminiscent of sludge metal bands like local heroes Grief and it caught my attention for its brutality and cold style. The first track, “Violent Nature,” opens with a barrage of sludge-inspired beats before shooting off at the sound of Tyler’s disgusted vocal inflection followed by a coordinated attack of blast beats and guitars. Tyler’s lyrics, inspired by the dark reality presented by Blood For Blood, touches upon the consequences of violent lives ending, well, violently. “This is the path you chose/No one can save you now/All because you can't shut your fucking mouth," he screams at his victim.
“I really wasn’t picking anything specific, a lot of what I say boils down to mental health issues, saying ‘Fuck the government’ and all that kind of shit. Just stuff that you come across every day that most people choose to ignore but I don’t,” Tyler explained on his lyrical choices.
The middle track, “Introspection,” starts off just as attention-grabbing with a charged-up riff that sounds inspired by High on Fire or any other classic stoner band, this riff gets interrupted by some expertly placed blast beats before going right back into the stoner riff and the rest of the track keeps the slower tempo (for a grind band). Definitely a standout track as it incorporates many different styles and changes up the pace.
The self-titled track, which closes out the demo, features probably the most appropriate lyrical subject matter for a band such as In Contempt to take. Tyler’s short but it’s definitive, “Power always in the wrong hands/Working class gets the short straw/Knife in the back of the common man.” The final line, repeated for the last 40 seconds, makes for some serious crowd interaction as Tyler screams: “What doesn't kill me makes me wish I was dead.”
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I finally caught In Contempt a week later at O’Brien’s in Allston where they opened for Fishface, Vespid, and Face First. The band made the most out of their short set with humorous banter between Bill (guitar) and Tyler that really made them endearing to the crowd.
Their finisher was the most outstanding as they covered “Devil’s Hand” by fellow Lynn band Distressor whom the members are all friends with. The moment felt especially right for them as they proudly wear their North Shore heritage on their sleeves and In Contempt showed that by covering Distressor, a band that ended a few years ago but left a lasting impression on the scene. The ending breakdown brought out the worst behavior in the crowd as well as Tyler who by the end had the entire crowd either on the floor or holding their heads in pain… including me.
Talking with In Contempt soon after their set was like a history lesson on the North Shore Hardcore scene. Whenever I’ve interviewed a band with members from that region, that’s typically where the conversation steers as the pride for their section of Boston runs deep. “It’s a real six degrees of Kevin Bacon sort of thing when you dive into all the bands from around the North Shore, every member went on to some other project that influenced one after the other. That identity and message pretty much went into all of the bands that have come out of there. It’s a weird place and all the bands are weird but that’s why it’s so individual” Bill lovingly states about his home scene.
Currently, In Contempt is planning on recording more tracks to be released early in 2025, they played two that haven’t been recorded yet in their setlist but they have a few others that they would like to place on the next recording.
Their last 2 shows of 2024 will be in Plymouth at the New World Tavern opening for local heroes Grasp along with Latch and Connecticut's Jealous Mind on Friday December 13th. Two days later they will be playing a massive festival at Worcester PNI Club along with Wisdom & War, Clock Out, Fishface, Watch Your Back, Sowing, and many other local favorites:
In Contempt brings a much needed renewal of dark and heavy music rooted in North Shore grime that anyone in the area can relate to especially in the coming winter. Something about the cold out here makes the mix of sludge, grindcore and hardcore hit so much harder and they’re here to provide that evil vibe the winter will surely bring. Check out In Contempt’s demo on all streaming platforms and be sure to check in with their social media for any more updates.
In Contempt would like to shout out: "Crippling Alcoholism, Sophisticated Adult, Grasp, Cannabis Crypt, Eyes Pressed In, Silent Spring, Jackal, Company Car (not a band just homies), Neighborhood Shit, everybody going to shows in the area, Paul Kimball and North Shore Hardcore. In Contempt would also like to publicly denounce: Face First."
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In Contempt on social media: Instagram
Tagged: in contempt
