For over three decades, Internal Bleeding has remained a cornerstone of New York death metal, carving out their own path with a sound that helped shape the very idea of “slam.” Despite setbacks, tragedies, and enough obstacles to bury most bands, the Long Island crew has always pushed forward with unrelenting force.
Their forthcoming seventh album, Settle All Scores, distills years of frustration and resilience into eight tracks of pure, bulldozing aggression, proving once again that Internal Bleeding thrives in adversity. The groove aspect of their style has made them a favorite among hardcore fan cirlces throughout that time:
With the record’s release on the horizon, No Echo reached out to guitarists Chris Pervelis and Chris McCarthy to dig into the music that shaped them. From the albums that first lit the fire to the records that continue to inspire their craft, the duo shared some of the essential influences behind the Internal Bleeding sound.
Enjoy!
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Chris Pervelis (founding guitarist) picks:
Black Sabbath, Volume 4 (1972)
"As a fanatical Black Sabbath fan since age 4, I cannot begin to describe the influence Sabbath has had on my sound and my riffs. Volume 4, particularly “Wheels of Confusion,” “Snowblind,” “Supernaut,” and “Under the Sun,” is a tour de force of groove, composition, and heaviness."
Black Flag, Slip It In (1984)
"I love this album because it still has the aggression from Damaged, but it focuses the aggression into tight grooves and flashes of musical brilliance. For me, “The Bars” and “Rat’s Eyes” are highlights.
"Greg Ginn is a guitarist that many sleep on, but I find his ever-evolving style with Black Flag and his side projects interesting and unique."
Agnostic Front, Victim In Pain (1984)
"My favorite Agnostic Front release. I don’t know why it is my favorite, but I think perhaps because I bought it at the right time when I was in high school.
"Whatever the reason may be, songs such as “Blind Justice” and “Society Sucker” really pull you in and truly capture the New York scene from the mid-'80s."
Rollins Band, Weight (1994)
"The title sums up the album perfectly. Weight is a sonically dense album played with absolute precision. Chris Haskett is one hell of a guitar player, and his unique style meshes well with the rest of the rhythm section.
"The album is a monster of great grooves, particularly on 'Volume 4' (a nod to Sabbath?), which is my favorite track."
Suicidal Tendencies, Suicidal Tendencies (1983)
"A certified classic for me. What I love about this album is that it took punk and hardcore in a very musical direction without losing the spirit of the genre.
"There are thrashy fast parts, groovy blues parts, extended jams, humorous and politically-charged lyrics, and plenty of energy to boot. What’s not to love?"
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Chris McCarthy (guitar & backing vocals) picks:
Crowbar, Sonic Excess In Its Purest Form (2001)
"Kirk [Windstein] is the greatest pure riffer of all time after Iommi, and this album is their heaviest offering. 'To Build a Mountain' is a perfect song. 'Empty Room' has helped me through some tough times as well.
"You can tell Kirk has seen some shit [laughs]—grown folks music."
Irate, 11:34 (2001)
"New York's most overlooked band. People in the scene respect them, but they should have gone on to stratospheric heights. Charismatic frontman spitting lyrics from the streets and the heart. How are five gangsta kids from the Bronx making this mind-boggling combination of thugcore and Metallica?
"This is the band and aesthetic that influenced my first band, Without Remorse, more than any other."
Madball, Legacy (2005)
"Everyone usually drops Set it Off or Hold it Down when they talk about Madball, but Legacy came out at the time I was going to a lot of shows as a younger guy, and this lineup of Freddy, Hoya, Mitts, and Rigg were firing on all cylinders.
"The lyrics to 'Damned' are basically a description of my own life in my late twenties and early thirties (for better or for worse), so this one really spoke to me."
Hatebreed, Satisfaction Is the Death of Desire (1997)
"This is the band and album that probably saved me from being a metal dude with a vest covered in band patches. The hardest music I had ever heard, and it was performed by dudes with short hair, Adidas pants, and Yankees hats.
"The songs and lyrics are also timeless and the absolute blueprint for many bands that followed."
Shattered Realm, Broken Ties… Spoken Lies (2002)
"This was the first album that put it all together for me. Simple songwriting structures, low death metal vocals, two-step riffs, and the biggest, most ridiculous, almost comically heavy breakdowns.
"::DING::"
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Settle All Scores will be released through on October 17th via Maggot Stomp (pre-order).
Tour dates:
9/18/2025 Alchemy – Providence, RI w/ Bodybox
9/19/2025 Salt City Death Fest @ Lost Horizon – Syracuse, NY w/ PeelingFlesh, Fuming Mouth, Bodybox
9/20/2025 American Legion Post 214 – Upper Darby, PA w/ Bodybox
9/21/2025 AMH – Amityville, NY w/ God Forbid, Bodybox
Tagged: internal bleeding, our biggest influences
