For San Antonio hardcore band Nemesis, the old adage "less is more" rings true. Though they've been around for close to a decade now, their discography isn't as deep as many of their peers in the Texas scene, but it's no less potent.
Earlier this year, Nemesis dropped a two-song promo on Coreruption Records. With “Damascus” and “Blistered Cross,” the band connects the raw energy of 2022’s Crusade of Hate EP to whatever comes next.
For vocalist Jake, Nemesis has been a long time coming. “I started Nemesis in late 2018/early 2019 when I brought some power chord riffs to my friend Josh, who drummed on it and recorded a GarageBand demo for me,” he tells No Echo. “Homies filled out the first lineup, and we played a handful of shows before I moved away from San Antonio in 2020 to the Hudson Valley, New York.”
That move put Nemesis on hold, but not for good. When Jake returned to Texas in 2024, he brought the band back with guitarist Nate and drummer Jose, keeping the original vision intact while starting fresh.
Nemesis pulls from the deep well of metallic hardcore, but their sound stays grounded in the local tradition. “I’d describe our style as Texas-style metallic hardcore,” Jake explains. “We definitely pull inspiration from crossover thrash, NYHC/DC, and heavy metal.”
Fans of Cro-Mags, Leeway, The Icemen, and Gut Instinct will hear familiar threads in Nemesis’ sound. The band also leans into classic heavy metal, channeling the swagger and riff-driven energy of Ozzy-era records.
The new promo tracks reflect that mix. Instead of making a big statement, Nemesis put these songs out to keep listeners engaged while they focus on writing what comes next. “We’d been sitting on these songs and playing them for a bit and decided to put these out to hold people that dig Crusade of Hate over while we take most of this year to write.”
Writing is now the main focus. After a year of playing across Texas and building momentum, Nemesis is back to demoing new material.
“We are taking the next few months to demo out the new songs we’ve been writing since putting out the promo,” Jake says. “We played locally and around Texas all we could last year and want to get these new songs out as soon as we’re happy with them.”
Once recording wraps, Nemesis plans to hit the road again. Shows are already in the works for the fall, and the band is ready to reach new audiences. “If you’re reading this, Nemesis wants to play your city.”
As for the current state of Texas hardcore, Jake points to a lengthy list of bands that deserve attention, including Order of Living, Limit of Destruction, Krigsarr, Funeral Service, Inner Self, Paradise, Compulsion, Tank Division, Freeze Out, Gangbusters, Weight Class, Ozone, Spit My Rage, Defcon 1, War-Lord, Visions of Mortality, Tiger Splitter, Aneurysm, Worst Behavior, False Front, Maldito Dios, and Predecessor.
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