The Barbarians Of California Announce New Album Megatons
The Barbarians Of California have announced their second album ‘Megatons’, set for release on 21st August.
Featuring Aaron Bruno of AWOLNATION and Eric Stenman of Tinfed, the band continue to rip through hardcore punk with a grin full of broken glass. Equal parts raw fury, riff-heavy chaos and sharp-tongued humour, The Barbarians Of California remain proudly allergic to conformity, taking swings at all sides with the giddy recklessness of a band built for volume.
Recently, VICE summed them up with admirable bluntness: “They’re so f**king good.” Fair enough.
Sophomore Slump Not Found
With ‘Megatons’, The Barbarians Of California sound anything but cautious. Instead of second-album nerves, the band have doubled down on the feral energy of their debut, turning in a record that promises bigger riffs, meaner hooks and more of their beautifully unhinged personality.
Eric Stenman says the record came together with surprising ease, despite the usual anxiety around following up a debut.
“Everyone has heard of the sophomore slump,” he explains. “Making a second album can be a fraught process full of overthinking and self-doubt. Perhaps, the benefit of us starting this band, at this later point in our lives, relieves some of that pressure. This felt so easy, and is a seamless continuation of whatever we started with the first batch of song – just bigger and better.”
The Gnarlycore Class Is In Session
To mark the announcement, the band have also shared a video for latest single ‘The Gnarlycore Class’.
Leaning fully into the band’s irreverent streak, the classroom-centred clip plays like detention for the terminally loud. It is frantic, funny and wired with the kind of caffeine-punk energy that makes The Barbarians Of California feel less like a side project and more like a threat scrawled on a school desk.
Stenman says the song filled a specific gap on the album.
“Sometimes when writing a new song, the goal is to land on a tempo that hasn’t been used anywhere else on the album,” he says. “‘Gnarlycore’ was just that. I think Aaron has been wishing for something in this vein for a while now. This was the second to last song that we came up with for Megatons, and it seemed to come together quickly and effortlessly.”
Megatons Track Listing
- Back To The Valley
- The Gnarlycore Class
- Vanilla Latte
- Bomb To A Knife Fight
- Really Really Rad
- Megatons Segue
- Earthquake
- This Is Shredical
- Hide All Your Records
- Modern Fashion
- Shark Out Of Water
- I Am The Submarine
Built From West Coast Hardcore DNA
The Barbarians Of California come from deep West Coast hardcore roots. Bruno and Stenman’s shared history runs through the same Sacramento orbit that helped shape acts including Deftones, Far, Will Haven, Team Sleep, Hella, Dance Gavin Dance, Death Grips and Trash Talk.
That underground spirit powers the band’s sound: metallic hardcore bite, punk-rock immediacy and enough absurdist humour to stop the whole thing collapsing under its own muscle.
Their 2024 debut ‘And Now I’m Just Gnashing My Teeth’ introduced the project with force, followed by a high-energy show at The Troubadour in Los Angeles. Since then, they have continued to build momentum with headline shows, festival appearances and a summer 2025 arena tour with Deftones.
Now, with ‘Megatons’ incoming, The Barbarians Of California are not slowing down. They are getting louder, weirder and much harder to ignore.
Live Dates
The Barbarians Of California have confirmed their first set of headline tour dates, alongside shows with Guns N’ Roses and upcoming festival appearances. Full confirmed live dates are available via the band’s official channels.
THE BARBARIANS OF CALIFORNIA SOPHOMORE ALBUM
MEGATONS OUT 21ST AUGUST PRE-SAVE HERE
