Since forming in 2009, Risk It! has built their reputation the hard way—through relentless touring. But, like so many other bands covered on this website, the COVID-19 crisis disrupted their plans.
“Pretty much right after the Era of Decay EP came out, the pandemic hit, and that completely killed our momentum,” guitarist Thomas tells No Echo. “We’d been going nonstop for years, and when everything suddenly dropped to zero, it took a while to get out of that hole.”
Vocalist Gregor adds some perspective: “Six years sounds damn long, but if you factor in COVID, you can subtract two years… During that phase, not much happened with the band, and a lot changed in people’s personal lives.” Drummer André sums it up more bluntly: “We went from basically full gas touring and playing shows to almost zero… It took a long time, but eventually turned out to be the best way to write and finally really produce the songs.”
The result of that long reset is Mercy for None, the German group's upcoming third full-length and debut release on WAR Records. The LP was produced by Nick Jett (Terror, Piece By Piece) and René Natzel (True Blue, Spawn). No Echo has the pleasure of helping premiere "Numbskull," a track from the forthcoming album. "'Numbskull’ is a straight-up NYHC-influenced ripper—fast, direct, and full of energy,” says Thomas.
“Lyrically, it’s basically a guide on how to deal with idiots.” Gregor keeps it just as simple: “If you like hardcore in the vein of Breakdown or No Warning, you’ll like this song. No coded message included.” André adds, “One of my personal favorite tracks. No BS, like a punch in the head.” The track features guest vocals by Justus Börner of the German hardcore band Slow Burn:
That no-frills mindset carries across the entire record. “Hardcore. No false advertising,” Thomas says about the album as a whole, with Gregor echoing it even more bluntly: “A hardcore record.” For André, though, it represents something bigger: “This is the best record we’ve written… It’s the hardest Risk It! record, it’s the most diverse yet straightforward… This is 100% Risk It!”
The band’s connection with WAR Records came naturally through longtime relationships. “When we toured with Berthold City in 2023, [Berthold City vocalist and WAR Records owner] Andrew [Kline] told us he’d be down to release the next record,” Thomas explains.
“We’re stoked to be working with a label that’s both respected and actually active.” Gregor adds, “He embodies everything hardcore stands for… it just felt right and natural.”
After years of building their name across Europe, Asia, and North America, Risk It! are also eyeing a return to the U.S. “It’s been nine years since we played This Is Hardcore, so I’d say it’s definitely about time,” says Thomas.
In the meantime, they’re staying active with a run alongside Naysayer and lining up more touring around the album’s release. “The album will be coming out in a few months, and after that we want to play as many shows as possible,” Gregor says, while André adds, “We’re ready to go!”
Andrew from WAR hooked me up with an advance of the album, and a large swath of No Echo's readership will love it. There's a nice balance of mosh, speed, and bounce in the tempos.
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Mercy for None will be out this summer via WAR Records.
Tour dates w/ Naysayer:
May 6, 2026 – FlaFla, Herford (DE)
May 7, 2026 – Output, Heerlen (NL)
May 8, 2026 – Chemiefabrik, Dresden (DE)
May 9, 2026 – Piaty Dom, Katowice (PL)
May 10, 2026 – Venster 99, Vienna (AT)
Risk It! on social media: Facebook | Instagram
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