Some bands break up, and that’s lights out forever. Others just take a long pause—and that’s exactly what Uprising A.D. did.
If you were around the Tijuana hardcore scene in the early 2010s, you probably heard the name—or saw them live. Their sound was a Latin take on old-school NYHC that hit different.
Now, they’re back. No big dramatic comeback story—just a group of guys who still have the itch to play, have fun, and get back on stage. With a return show on the horizon, the same spirit that got them started remains.
I caught up with Lalo Blood to talk about how it all began, how hardcore found him (or maybe the other way around), and what brought Uprising A.D. back in 2026.
Tell me about your childhood/adolescence. How did you get into music in general?
(Lalo Blood, vocals): When I was a kid, I always felt like I wasn’t like everyone else—like I had a different chip. I questioned everything, and nothing really satisfied the way I was or the way I thought. School, religion, or any kind of authority bothered me, and I’d always ask why there were so many stupid rules.
That’s how I grew up. And in the search to belong, I found my way to hardcore, where I finally felt that sense of belonging and being part of something really powerful. Music was always my escape—where everything would fade away into the sonic, dissonant notes of a good circle pit or breakdown.
How did you find out about hardcore? Were there other bands (metal, punk) that led you toward it?
(Lalo): Of course—it was all step by step. I was already listening to mainstream bands like Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Sepultura, and others. Punk and hardcore came into my life completely by accident.
A friend from my neighborhood—“El Travieso”—used to hustle, selling clothes, and among his things was a cassette by Agnostic Front. He gave it to me and said, “Here, man—this is that crazy music you like!” From there, I jumped to Madball, and then to many, many more bands—and that’s where I got stuck musically.
That cassette was Cause for Alarm.
Damn, you started with the good stuff [laughs]—that’s awesome. From there, what was your first show? What did you think?
(Lalo): Man, I started out going to purely local shows—bands like Especimen, Turbulencia Caótica, Juventud Enferma, Solución Mortal, and others were the ones who paved the way.
One of my first shows was at Estudio #1 at More FM, but my first real concert was back when scenes weren’t divided—every genre would play together, no issues at all. It was something really powerful to see all kinds of genres sharing the stage and the dance floor. It was extremely fun.
Around what years was this?
(Lalo): ’94–’95—I’m terrible with timelines.
Alright—so how did you make the jump into playing music? How did that motivation start, and what was your first band?
(Lalo): Around ’96–’97, we were just kids. Some friends from the neighborhood and I would get together to “play,” but nothing really came together—we were mostly just killing time. But we had other friends who were already playing bars and shows, and to us, that felt insane—they were like this chaotic noise. That pushed us to give it a shot. That’s how we started my first band, No Hope.
Hell yeah—and what did you guys sound like? What bands influenced you? What did you achieve as a band?
(Lalo): No Hope was straight-up street punk—a full-on punch to the face. We were influenced by many styles: Eskorbuto, Rancid, NOFX, 2 Minutos, Subhumans, and even some New York hardcore.
It was a mix of rebellious kids trying to let out all the anger and darkness inside us, along with our personal problems. That’s why No Hope sounded the way it did—like a direct hit.
READ MORE: Uno a Uno Push Mexican Hardcore Forward on Que El Mundo Arda En Llamas LP
Alright—and from there, how did you make the jump to Uprising A.D.? How did the band start?
(Lalo): After my first band, I stepped away for personal reasons—work, responsibilities, all that—but after a few months, I still had the urge to keep going.
Around 2002, Nuestra Sangre came out, offering something new that didn’t really exist in Tijuana. There was a really intense connection with the crowd—it was powerful to watch.
After some time, Jaime Salinas invited me to join Nuestra Sangre. I played with them for about two years, but eventually we had differences, so I decided to start something of my own—with that same kind of intensity.
That’s when Sergio Morales came into my path, and that’s how Uprising A.D. started around 2004–2005.
What were/are your influences? What did you achieve as a band?
(Lalo): We all had pretty diverse tastes—nu metal, punk, metal, hardcore. As a band, we toured across Mexico several times, and our music reached Europe and Central America.
But honestly, the biggest achievement was making friends all over the world through hardcore. Bands we once looked up to ended up becoming our friends—that’s the best thing this scene has given us.
We released a demo, an EP, and a split CD with Pasqua from Japan, released through Cabooze Recordings.
What motivated you to come back?
(Lalo): On a personal level, I tried starting something new a few times, but it never really worked out. Eventually, the urge to get back on stage and have fun got the best of me—and the nostalgia hit hard.
Now everyone in Uprising A.D. 2026 is on the same wavelength: have fun, enjoy it, and start working on new music.
Switching it up—what newer bands have you been listening to? Any recommendations?
(Lalo): Like a typical old-school guy, I stick to what I like—but lately I’ve been listening to a bit of everything. Modern stuff like Malevolence, Nasty, Lionheart, Harm’s Way, End—and then the classics like Hatebreed, Madball, Agnostic Front.
Last word is yours.
(Lalo): Thank you for your time—and we’ll see you on June 20th at Moustache Bar (now Silenus) for the return of Uprising A.D. Let’s make it a memorable night.
Shoutout to New Lords Booking from Tijuana and everyone in the 2026 lineup for believing in this stubborn old guy.
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Stay tuned for new music and upcoming plans from Uprising A.D., and if you can, be sure to catch their reunion show in Tijuana this June 20th.
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