When No Echo first caught up with Peace Test all the way back in 2020, the New England hardcore band was fresh off its Uniform Repression 7". Six years later, the same five members are still at it, following 2022's Pry LP with a new full-length, Repercussion.
The LP packs 12 tracks into just over 12 minutes, with Peace Test leaning further into fast, straightforward hardcore while retaining some of the powerviolence elements of its earlier material. The record was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Trevor Vaughan (The Rival Mob, Wound Man). Having been hooked up with an advance copy of the album, I can attest to its brutal, ugly intensity; it could have come out 20 years ago or yesterday.
With Repercussion nearly here, I spoke with guitarist Cedrick Gustave and vocalist Nolan Cambra to discuss the new record, Peace Test's evolution, the artwork for the LP, the band's relationship with their record label, and more.
It's been a little while since we last featured you on No Echo. Fill me in on some of the band's highlights since then. Lineup changes, stylistic differences, tours, label deals, etc.
Cedrick Gustave (guitar): First off, I want to say thank you for taking the time to talk about the band with us and for checking out the new record. We really appreciate it! I think No Echo first covered us back in 2020 as a newer band to watch for (thank you for that). We were about two years into the band at that point and had just put out our 7", Uniform Repression, so it's nice to be talking again six years later.
Since then, we've just kept the band moving at our own pace. We put out our first LP, Pry, on To Live A Lie Records in 2022 and got the chance to take those songs a little outside our area. We hit the Pacific Northwest, Salt Lake City, and Denver with SPY, which was great. Shoutout to SPY for bringing us along.
That's probably the closest we've come to really "touring." We tend to stay pretty local and play when it makes sense for us. Other than that, we've kept doing what we've always done: playing shows, writing when we can, and letting things come together naturally. Somewhere along the way, those songs started turning into what became Repercussion, and now here we are.
Nolan Cambra (vocals): Thanks for having us again. It's still the same five guys since our first 7", Uniform Repression. Our writing process has also remained pretty much the same: we'll write and sit on songs for years, and when we decide to tighten up and record, we write a few last-minute tracks we're more stoked on. I've had two children since Pry was released, so all of my time and effort goes into that, and the band has kind of taken a back seat. We all have pretty demanding careers and lives.
From where I sit, it feels like the band's profile has risen in the last year or so. How does it feel for you?
Nolan: That's cool to hear. I think we're in a perfect spot for what we're looking to do. We get to play shows close to home every so often with bands we like and respect. Some friends have referred to us as a "band's band," and I like that. It's nice to know our music is appreciated. It makes up for us not being the easiest social hang.
Cedrick: I appreciate that!
As Nolan said, I think we've gotten to a point where we're able to play interesting shows with bands that we like, and that's a great feeling. We never really set out to do anything big with the band. We all have careers and a lot going on outside of Peace Test, so it's not like we're really out there pounding the pavement.
The fact that, despite our relative inactivity, we can still play great shows and people still care enough to listen to us is something I'm really happy about.
The album is relentless! Talk to me a bit about the writing sessions and the influences you mined.
Cedrick: Thanks for the kind words! Glad you liked it. Writing for Peace Test is always an interesting experience. We have a member who's just insanely prolific at writing riffs. He's always sending some wild new idea to the group chat, and a lot of the time I'll listen to it and think, "That's so sick, but I have no idea how I'm gonna play that." There are all these weird stop/starts and other freaked-out parts, but then we get together in a room, hash it out, everyone adds their bits, and there you have it.
I think with this record, the objective was to write something a little more rooted in traditional hardcore. There are definitely still some powerviolence-y elements, but I think it leans more hardcore this time around, at least compared to 'Pry.'
Nolan: Thank you, that's very kind. The writing process is all wonky—a lot of riff videos, voice-note mouth riffing, and debating whether or not we should stop being a band. I think the main idea when I started this band as a solo mission was to blend Infest with The Rival Mob, and I think we've kinda done something that could maybe resemble that with splashes of other stuff.
There's some Integrity parts on this record for sure. Intent to Injure is always an influence for me, along with the entire New Bedford hardcore family tree.
Cedrick, I see you handled the art and layout for the LP. Walk me through that and the thinking behind it. I also notice you work with a ton of other artists/labels. What's the story there?
Cedrick: I did! I've done all of the art and layout for our releases, and I handle most of our T-shirt designs as well. I'm a graphic designer by trade, so being able to do that stuff for the band is something I really enjoy.
For this record, I wanted to do something a little more tangible art-wise. Most of our previous artwork has been created digitally, so I thought collage would be a good place to start. The cover image is a collage that Nolan, Jeff (our drummer), and I worked on together. It's made up of a lot of war photography from '70s and '80s magazines that I've collected over the years.
We assembled everything over the course of a few hours, and we all liked how it came together and felt like it fit the record. I scanned it, worked on the composition and typography a bit, and it was good to go. If you buy the record, you can see the full-color collage on the insert.
As for things I've created for other bands and labels, a lot of that has come through people seeing work I've done for Peace Test and asking if I'd be able to design something for them. I'm a self-taught designer, so I really appreciate all the trust people have put in me and the experience I've gotten along the way. Over the years, I've been fortunate enough to work with bands that I really love, and I hope to do more of that kind of work in the future.
What are the details on "Friend of Hardcore" and the inspiration behind it?
Nolan: "Friend of Hardcore" is just a lyrically dumb throwaway track for the most part, not about anyone in particular. Just an observation on the type that is kinda in it for the hang and not the message. There are a thousand versions of this song in the hardcore sphere; this is just my version.
How did Peace Test come to start working with Delayed Gratification?
Cedrick: Our good friend Nick, who runs Physical Therapy Records and Fanzine, put us in touch with DGR. He knew we liked a lot of bands on their roster and that the label liked us as well, so we got in touch and it ended up being a perfect match. We're really grateful for their support. It's been a great experience working with them.
What's your personal favorite release in the label's discography so far?
Cedrick: As far as their roster goes, I'm a fan of Sinister Feeling, The Smoke, Sour, Slug, Rabbit, En Love, Censer, Yesman, and can't forget the homies in Mult (really good shoegaze), Can't Lose (that early 2000s good stuff), and If It Rains (a sick band with a lot of people in it).
Nolan: There are a lot of bands I like a lot on DGR—Yesman, The Smoke, Censer, Sinister Feeling, If It Rains, Can't Lose, and En Love, to name a few.
What newer hardcore bands have been getting you excited lately, whether locally or from somewhere else in the world?
Cedrick: New England Hardcore is the best hardcore, so I'll start with who I'm rocking with close to home. Some of these bands are newer than others, but they're all worth checking out: Step First, Far Too Late, Gagu, Herd Mentality, Breakout from Oppression, Quick to Judge, Violent Protest, GREM, I.C.B.M., and Tower of One. Search Warrant isn't a new band, but they have a really good record coming out soon that definitely deserves a listen.
Outside of New England, I've been really into No Idols, Identity Shock, Dimension, and Pill Mill.
Nolan: Luckily, we're from the best region for hardcore (ever), so a lot of the local bands are just the best hardcore bands in general. Some bands I'm into currently are Step First, Erupt, Last Order, Wits End, Fightback, Fröthing Mad, Ironbar, Far Too Late, and Runnin' Hot.
There's a bunch more, but I've been digging a lot of Rebirth Records, Rage Deposit, and Physical Therapy releases. Hardcore is in a great place. The pushback on "pro core" is a beautiful thing.
What's next for the band over the coming months?
Nolan: Probably going to keep playing semi-locally unless people elsewhere seem interested in having us play their basement or something. I'd like to do a few weekenders here and there once spring rolls around. Some Southeast/Midwest/West Coast stuff, hopefully. We'll be doing more in 2027.
Cedrick: Hoping to play more shows and write some music. Maybe do a split with a band we like!
Is there anything else you wanted to cover before closing this out?
Cedrick: Thank you again for chatting with us! I also want to take the opportunity to give a huge thank you to Trevor Vaughan, who recorded, mixed, and mastered the record. He put a lot of care into it and really got the best out of us. He tried all sorts of interesting techniques throughout the recording process, and we're really grateful that we got to work with him again.
Nolan: Thanks for taking the time to do this and showing an interest in what we do. Listen to Wound Man and Search Warrant. Shoutout to DGR, Physical Therapy, RIX, RI Core, and MA Glory.
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Repercussion is out August 14 and available on vinyl via Delayed Gratification. You can also get a copy of the album on casssette through Physical Therapy.
Peace Test on social media: Instagram
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