ALBUM PREMIERE: Hard-Ons - ‘So I Could Have Them Destroyed’

Aussie punk rock legends Hard-Ons really put the songs on their 12th studio LP, So I Could Have Them Destroyed, to the test before hitting the studio.

If you’ve caught them live in recent years, you’ve probably heard some of the material already, with co-founder Ray Ahn telling The Music they road-tested the new music extensively before engaging in comprehensive pre-production.

“And so it was, 20 tracks got recorded very quickly, most of them being first or second takes,” Ahn said.

“Drums, rhythm guitar and bass were recorded live. Hard-Ons have never done it differently. We think that we’d lose the excitement and vitality if we’d not recorded the basic tracks live.

“Lachlan Mitchell was asked to be producer/engineer for his innate knowledge of both heavy and melodic music, as well as his familiarity of Hard-Ons’ sound.”

Although all 20 songs were recorded in only a few days, Ahn noted that mixing was “measured and laborious”.

“We’d be the first to admit, the fine balancing act that is the world of mixing a heavy-yet-melodic band, a band that relies on vocal harmonies as much as blistering guitars and a rampaging and brutal rhythm, is not something that is for the impatient nor the unfocussed, and we are eternally grateful for Lachlan Mitchell’s dedication and diligence.

“AND MOST OF ALL, we are in debt to his brilliant ear. We could not be happier with the result."

With a total running time of 30 minutes, it’s quintessential Hard-Ons, with beloved drummer and original founding member Keish de Silva re-joining the band for the new album, which you can listen to in full above ahead of its official release tomorrow.

Hard-Ons will embark on an Aussie tour this November in support of So I Could Have Them Destroyed, all the details of which you can find in theGuide.