Arms Race (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | Nick Stab, Ola Herbich, Patrick Henderson, Oli McVean |
| Headquarters | London , England |
| Products | Hardcore punk music |
Arms Race was a hardcore punk group originating from London, England, established in 2012 and associated with the New Wave of British Hardcore movement.
History
The band came together in late 2012, founded by Nick Stab, Ola Herbich, Patrick Henderson, and Oli McVean. Their sound was influenced by bands such as United Blood, Condemned 84, and The Partisans. They introduced their initial demo in 2013.
Their first EP, Gotta Get Out, was released on 1 October 2014 through Quality Control HQ and Painkiller Records. In April 2015, Arms Race performed at the Damaged City Festival held in Washington D.C., followed by a U.S. tour in June alongside co-headliners Violent Reaction. That same year, Patrick Henderson departed due to conflicting schedules and was succeeded by Belgian musician Nicky Rat.
In October 2016, the band played at Toronto’s No Dead Yet Festival, and in October 2017 embarked on a tour across Japan. Their sophomore EP, The Best, was launched on 8 February 2018 via La Vida Es Un Mus and Painkiller Records. During September 2018, they appeared at Ready Festival and also performed a complimentary gig at London's Dr. Martens store with Higher Power and Stages in Faith. They made a return to Damaged City Festival in April 2018.
Arms Race wrapped up their career with a final show at the Damage is Done festival on 22 November 2019, sharing the lineup with The Flex, Payday, Ekulu, and Big Cheese. Additionally, Ola Herbich contributed guest vocals to Raise Your Voice Joyce: Contemporary Shouts From Contemporary Voices, a compilation secretly recorded by Canadian act Fucked Up in 2018.
Musical style
Their sound merges influences from American hardcore pioneers like early Agnostic Front and SSD with British hardcore acts including Chaos UK and Charged GBH, while integrating aspects of oi! and death metal. Early inspirations featured United Blood, Condemned 84, and the Partisans. The band is classified under the hardcore punk genre. Tom Breihan from Stereogum characterized them as "what might’ve happened if Motörhead had decided that they wanted to be Youth Of Today."
Members
- Final lineup
- Nicholas "Stab" Sarnella – vocals (2012–2019)
- Ola Herbich – guitar (2012–2019)
- Charlie "Chubby Charles" Fresh – guitar (2012–2019)
- Nicky Rat – bass (2015–2019)
- LLoyd Clipston – drums (2018–2019)
- Previous members
- Oli McVean – drums (2012–2016)
- Patrick Henderson – bass (2012–2015)
- Tom Pimlott – drums (2016–2018)
Discography
- Albums
- New Wave of British Hardcore (2016)
- EPs
- Gotta Get Out (2014)
- The Beast (2018)
- Compilations
- New Nonsense (2015)