Hailing from the Inland Empire, Smoked909 has been making waves in the local hardcore scene.
By Diego Munoz
Introduction
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Hailing from the Inland Empire, Smoked909 has been making waves in the local hardcore scene. Formed last December, the band currently consists of David (vocals), Satch (guitar), Caesar (guitar), Rodney (drums), and Rodrigo (bass). Taking influence from death metal and hardcore, they create a heavy-hitting style of music that makes you want to break someone’s face.
Originally consisting of only David and Satch, the band recorded their first EP “tIEd up, Vol. 1” with the help of Hatred Six Audio. Rodney soon reached out to the band through Instagram, and the three set up a day to jam. According to David, “We knew he was our guy right away.” They wasted no time and played their first show in January.
The trio played a few more shows in the following months and were eventually joined by Rodrigo and Caesar, who were at nearly every show the band played.
Rodrigo joined the band after sending a video of himself playing bass along to “Losses,” a song off their first EP. Impressed, the band brought him in as their bassist. Caesar, who is also the guitarist for local band Ishiki, joined the band after he was half-jokingly asked if he would be down to play in Smoked. Next thing you know, he was learning all of their songs on a new 7-string guitar.
A Smoked show brings out the worst in people in the best way possible. The moment the first note plays, the venue is turned into a war zone. Furniture is thrown, noses are broken, and friendships are made. People unleash their pent-up frustrations on poor bystanders by throwing kicks and punches at random. Although you might get violently knocked to the ground, you’ll always get picked right back up.
Smoked proudly reps the IE in their music, involving it in nearly everything they’ve written. Their love for the scene and the area is genuine and it’s deservedly reciprocated. Bands like this help the scene grow and make it a community I want to be in.
The band just released their second EP “tIEd up, Vol. 2,” which has become one of my favorite releases of the year. They’ve played “Intro” to start their shows for the past few months, and its studio release really delivers the feeling I get when I hear it live.
The rest of the EP is phenomenal. “No Place to Die” features one of my favorite riffs and a gnarly guitar solo. “Dead Bent” has a guest appearance by another one of my favorite local bands, 97minutes.
Smoked909 has come a long way since their first show. According to David, "Musically, I don’t know exactly where we’re headed, but we definitely wanna keep evolving our sound.” Their music has already evolved a lot, and they’re only getting better. As bitterly stated in “Dead Bent,” though nothing stays the same, you’ll remember their f***ing name!
Watch a live performance: