The Great Lie are hailing from Long Island, New York and members of the band are veterans of NYHC scene. What do we get here? There are six songs on this E.P. The music that The Great Lie play is basically NYHC in it’s roots but upgraded with so much more. There is melody, there is aggression but all mixed up in one great form. There are breakdowns but also some faster parts. Vocals are shouted, sometimes high pitched, sometimes almost whispered, sometimes angry and all times emotional, so I must commend the singer, who does a really awesome job. I don’t know why, but The Great Lie reminded me at times with some noisy parts of Helmet. But there are also faster hardcore punk parts like in awesome Rinse and Repeat which is one of my personal favorites on this one. Lyrically band delves more into personal themes, dealing with some personal demons, handling the everyday survival and I as a listener can relate to the songs totally. I am sure this band is fantastic live, so I hope they will tour Europe some time, and I hope I will be able to check them out. Great E.P. Also my favorites Another Way which is most aggressive song on the record and I love faster stuff. I also highlight Lay Down. Go check this one out!
Tag Archives: NYHC
(new post – new single) NYHC powerhouse The Great Lie released new single from their upcoming record!
The Great Lie is a powerhouse hardcore band from Long Island, New York, known for its raw energy and deep roots in the scene. Formed in 2014, the band features seasoned veterans—Kerry Merkle on vocals, Scott Martin on bass, Mike Scarola on guitar, and John Lafata on drums—who bring experience from legendary acts such as Madball, Mind Over Matter, Silent Majority, Sheer Terror, Milhouse, Dmize, and Neglect.
Since its inception, The Great Lie has shared stages with hardcore heavyweights like Pro-Pain, Agnostic Front, H2O, Madball, Pain Of Truth, T.S.O.L., D.I., and M.O.D., solidifying their reputation for intense, uncompromising performances. Their 2020 release, Defying Extinction, was recorded with the renowned Martin Bisi, whose impressive resume includes working with Sonic Youth, Unsane, and Season To Risk—as well as ties to Scott and John’s former band, Mind Over Matter—adding a rich layer of influence and expertise to the production.
Continuing to push boundaries, their 2023 release Vertigo was mastered by Arthur Rizk, whose credits include Cavalera Conspiracy, Jungle Rot, and Road Mutant. The band is now set to ignite the scene once again with their upcoming album Songs For A Monday Morning, led by the electrifying single “Fractured,” which also features Rizk’s distinctive mastering touch.
With a legacy of collaboration, innovation, and relentless energy, The Great Lie continues to defy expectations and redefine the sound of modern hardcore.
The Great Lie’s second single off Songs For A Monday, Rinse and Repeat is a raw, driving anthem about the grind of daily life and the fight to push through. With blistering riffs and unrelenting energy, the Long Island hardcore veterans channel frustration and reflection into a powerful call to survive. Gritty and urgent, the track captures the weight of routine, the passage of time, and the struggle to break free. No matter the pain, the goal remains: Make it out alive.
The single was released April 4th 2025
The E.P. “Songs For A Monday” will be released April 18th 2025 through Lemmis Records
(review) Shutdown – ‘Still…Against All Odds'(Equal Vision Records)
NYHC nineties old school champions Shutdown are back with new release! This one contains five songs of old school fast and groovy hardcore like it was done in the nineties and my personal favorite on this one is ‘We Won’t Forget’ featuring guest performance by none other than Sick Of It All’s Craig Setari. This is all about old school. Fast drumming, hardcore anthems, shouted and screamed vocals, great lyrics and hardcore played from the heart for hardcore hearts out there. This one really made my skin crawl with goosebumps and hardcore heart beat faster with every song that I listened to on this one, wishing there are more. Who knows, perhaps there will be new full length album some time in the future. In the meantime, check this one out and I would love to witness this band play live, I am sure they are a blast!


