NYHC Crossover Pioneers
CRO-MAGS
Unleash New Version of 1985 Demo Favorite
“Everybody’s Gonna Die (2026)”
Watch the Lyric Video HERE
‘The Age of Quarrel: 40 Years of Quarrel’
Set for Release on November 13th via BLKIIBLK
Pre-Order HERE
Today, September 16th, is the 40th anniversary of the iconic CRO-MAGS debut ‘The Age of Quarrel’ and the seminal New York hardcore outfit, fronted by Harley Flanagan, is proudly launching their new version of “Everybody’s Gonna Die (2026).” Taken from the 1985 demo, and featured on the upcoming album ‘The Age of Quarrel: 40 Years of Quarrel,’ the track is a tribute to their unforgettable 1986 debut.
Written by Harley in 1985, “Everybody’s Gonna Die” didn’t make the final track list for ‘The Age of Quarrel,’ though it proved to be a demo-era fan favorite. Now, the track reclaims its rightful spot on ‘The Age of Quarrel: 40 Years of Quarrel,’ alongside an official lyric video, available below.
Watch the Lyric Video for “Everybody’s Gonna Die (2026)” HERE
Forty years ago, New York City’s CRO-MAGS defined the metal-punk crossover with their landmark 1986 album, ‘The Age of Quarrel.’ The intensity, influence, and groove of that record continue to resonate today, fueled by the band’s enduring legacy and hard-earned reputation as one of heavy music’s most volatile and influential acts. Led by founding bassist and vocalist Harley Flanagan, who assumed frontman duties beginning with 1989’s ‘Best Wishes,’ CRO-MAGS bring ‘The Age of Quarrel’ full circle with a celebration of the album that started it all.
Joining Flanagan are original ‘AOQ’ guitarist Doug Holland and former CRO-MAGS/ Suicidal Tendencies guitarist Rocky George, plus Meg Mills, Zach Blair, and Arthur Rizk for fresh takes on classics including “Hard Times,” “World Peace,” and “Malfunction,” along with the addition of the 1985 demo-era favorite “Everybody’s Gonna Die.” Flanagan is also joined by current band members Dominic Dibenedetto and Dave Sharpe. Drums on all tracks were handled by drum phenom Greyson Nekrutman. Produced and mixed by Arthur Rizk (Power Trip, Blood Incantation), ‘40 Years of Quarrel’ not merely revisits a pivotal crossover classic, but pours new fuel on the fire for old devotees and new converts to the CRO-MAGS cause.
The decision to revisit ‘The Age of Quarrel’ began during the making of the “Wired for Chaos” documentary. Several songs had to be re-recorded for the film’s soundtrack because the original recordings couldn’t be licensed, inspiring Harley Flanagan to re-record the entire album.
The project also provided an opportunity to address the complicated history surrounding the original record. None of the musicians who performed on ‘The Age of Quarrel’ were ever paid or received an accounting of the album’s sales. For years, Flanagan tried to reunite the original lineup to re-record the album and reclaim the rights to ‘The Age of Quarrel’ and ‘Best Wishes’ through the Copyright Reversion Act, but couldn’t bring everyone together before that window closed.
For the new recording, Flanagan brought together friends, current bandmates, and musicians from other bands to celebrate an album that has impacted generations of fans. Forty years later, everyone who wrote the songs will finally be paid through ASCAP and BMI, with the remaining proceeds going to charity.
The project is Flanagan’s way of honoring the music, its creators, and the fans who have carried these songs forward for four decades while putting the past behind him. The songs belong to the fans. Love wins. The quarrel is over.
Pre-Order ‘The Age of Quarrel: 40 Years of Quarrel’ HERE
‘The Age of Quarrel: 40 Years of Quarrel’ Track List:
1. We Gotta Know (Featuring Dave Sharpe & Doug Holland)
2. World Peace
3. Show You No Mercy
4. Malfunction
5. Street Justice
6. Survival Of The Streets
7. Seekers Of The Truth (Featuring Arthur Rizk and Rocky George)
8. It’s The Limit (Featuring Meg Mills)
9. Hard Times
10. By Myself
11. Don’t Tread On Me (Featuring Zach Blair)
12. Face The Facts
13. Do Unto Others
14. Life of My Own
15. Signs Of The Times
CRO-MAGS Live:
September 26 — Daytona Beach, FL @ Party Weekend
October 4 — Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival
December 3-5 — Denver, CO @ Decibel Metal & Beer Fest
December 12 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco – For the Children
More Dates TBA!
The history of Harley Flanagan and his band CRO-MAGS is integral not just to the history of hardcore, but to modern metal, rock, and punk itself. With roots stretching from the shadow of Warhol and the Velvets to CBGB’s hardcore matinees and L’Amour Brooklyn thrash-a-thons, all the way through current generations of punk and extreme metal, CRO-MAGS are the connective tissue. Just ask the likes of Dave Grohl, Green Day, and Turnstile. CRO-MAGS stand side by side with Black Sabbath, Motörhead, and Metallica as both an influence and a gamechanger.
The brainchild of a 14-year-old Harley Flanagan, CRO-MAGS began in 1981 while Flanagan was playing drums for The Stimulators. By 1982/83, he had recorded the primal CRO-MAGS demos — four songs that would become the blueprint for the seminal 1986 release, ‘Age of Quarrel.’ Initially a solo vision, Flanagan wrote and played all of the music himself. In 1985, alongside guitarist Parris Mayhew, vocalist John Joseph McGowan, and drummer Mackie Jayson, the genre-defining ‘Age of Quarrel’ demo was recorded. The full-length album followed in 1986, with Doug Holland of Kraut joining on second guitar.
Explosive both on and offstage, CRO-MAGS have had a tumultuous history, to put it mildly. Through multiple lineups, six studio albums beyond the original demos, and more than four decades of worldwide touring, CRO-MAGS remain one of the most iconic bands in American hardcore and metal.
