Chicago hardcore outfit Home Invasion are sharing their new album Enemy, a brutal aural journey which becomes more intense every moment. It drops on streaming services tomorrow from WAR Records, but you can listen to it right now here.
Listen to the full album here:
Home Invasion hail from Chicago, Illinois, and they were formed in 2018. The band members have also played in bands such as Guts and Glory, Noose, and Absolute Truth. The band will release their upcoming album through War Records on May 17.
Enemy Track Listing:
1. Insignificance
2. Enemy
3. Incomplete
4. Bleach
5. Stochastic
6. Nasty Brutish Short
7. Locked In Sight
8. Exterminate
9. Mass Confusion
10. Never Silent
11. Anthem
12. Mindgrind
Our writer, Bobby Forand, interviewed the band and the full text of his interview is below.
Home Invasion doesn’t need a lot of time to remind crowds that they are a hardcore powerhouse. Their self-titled EP only takes up five minutes of your time, but they prove that you don’t need much more than that when songwriting is done right. These four tracks break down the door, destroy the house and leave before you realize what hit you; only knowing that you want more.
“The tracks really just came together,” singer James says of the process. “We just clicked it all together a lot easier; everyone brought a piece to the table that fit the gaps that everyone else left behind. You can call it the maturity of the band, you can call it the talent of the members, but we are both immature and talentless, so it might not be that.”
The EP is a follow-up to Enemy, which was released in 2024. The straight-edge quintet from the Midwest built up their fanbase playing regionally. The music is fast, aggressive and raw, sounding like a sweaty basement full of sweatier kids singing along. These songs serve as an extension of their previous material, but with more experience playing together and stronger ideas.
“People feel like it’s a good continuation from the last record, and I really feel that too,” James says of the EP. “ It’s faster, harder, and more interesting writing, but if you disagree, the record doubles as a great coaster for a Big Gulp.”
The members of Home Invasion: Andy, Emilio, Kyle, Nick and James, all have experience playing in hardcore bands. This has led them to set their own expectations around the band. Being together and having a good time writing fast and heavy songs is their priority. They invite fans to come along for the ride, but they won’t accommodate if it’s not in their wheelhouse.
“I can say the only thing I’m more concerned about now is that the music is something I’d be excited to listen to,” James says. “I’m not writing shit that sounds like what other people wanna hear. I’ve gone down that path once or twice before, and it leads to a headache and not having fun. The only reason this band exists is to have fun – play music we like, talk shit, play arcade games, shoot dice, and eat trash.”
Home Invasion is an aggressive band that doesn’t take itself too seriously. They aim to impress listeners, but there is a lighthearted feel to everything they do, even in the heaviest moments. They hit hard but self-deprecate. They want to involve everyone that wants to be there. They don’t put themselves above anyone else, giving them an aura that feels real and human.
“We’re all in the same stupid club,” James says. “I’m coming to see your band the same way you are coming to see us, I don’t know any other way to do it.”
Their songs were made to be played live. While the recordings have the precision, their live performances have the heart and energy, which is what Home Invasion is about. They believe in what they’re doing.
“You can tell if they are into the spirit of the thing, or if they are just going through the motions,” James says. “Shows up twice as big live. Live show is where the rubber hits the road, the song isn’t complete until someone takes the mic and does a flip off the stage, and if that never happens, the song probably sucks and we have failed.”
“In this age of streaming and backlines and flying out to fests and ‘please sign this tax form so we can give you a 1099’ and Taco Bell commercials, there are also bands who play 92 shows in 90 straight days entirely DIY,” James continues. “I love that. Our motto has always been “We Will Play Your Basement.” If I’m ever in a hardcore band that’s above that, I’m probably not having fun, and neither are you.”
Please talk about your new release. What was different this time around?
This EP came about when we decided we had been playing some of these songs a lot, since the demo the group originally put together, like “well if we wanna stop playing those dumb hardcore songs we need to write different dumb hardcore songs”. The difference between the later end of the LP songwriting and the EP stuff is that we just clicked it all together a lot easier, everyone brought a piece to the table that fit the gaps that everyone else left behind. You can call it maturity of the band, you can call it talent of the members, but remember – we are both immature and talentless, so it might not be that. – James
The EP is slightly over five minutes long. How much time would you say went into these songs from infancy to finished product? Did you have more fun writing them or recording them? Why?
The tracks really just came together, 30 minutes a practice over the course of a few weeks, when something was missing someone from the group would grab a guitar or sit on the drums and say “no let’s do it like this”. Writing is always interesting to see the finished product start to form, but I like the recording better. I have recorded as a drummer countless times (Nick is better at it), and that is kind of torture, I hate the pressure of wanting that to come across precise and correct, but as a singer I like the process a lot more. I can spend time watching the parts all come together, get excited about it, eat too much pizza, take a nap, second-guess everything I’ve written for lyrics, and then when it’s my turn, record it all anyway. – James
What do you think keeps hardcore fresh? What makes some bands stand out more than others?
Energy, knowing that what you are listening to is something that is recorded by people who give a fuck about it. “It” can mean 100 different things to 100 different people, but whatever it is, you can kinda tell if they are into the spirit of the thing, or if they are just going through the motions. Shows up twice as big live. It’s easier to do these days than maybe 10 years ago, cause there is so much going on right now, shows are getting bigger and more frequent, newer faces excited to be around, older faces not being complete pricks. We’re all in the same stupid club, I’m coming to see your band the same way you are coming to see us, I don’t know any other way to do it. -James
How has your songwriting style changed as you’ve gotten older (if at all)?
Being the oldest member of the band BY FAR, I can say the only thing I’m more concerned about now is that the music is something I’d be excited to listen to. I’m not writing shit that sounds like what other people wanna hear, I’ve gone down that path once or twice before, and it leads to a headache and not having fun. The only reason this band exists is to have fun – play music we like, talk shit, play arcade games, shoot dice, and eat trash. None of us are cool, I don’t think we’re ever gonna be cool, thank you for reading this uncool response. -James
How do the songs compare playing live as to recording/rehearsing them?
Live show is where the rubber hits the road, the song isn’t complete until someone takes the mic and does a flip off the stage, and if that never happens, the song probably sucks and we have failed. -James
What keeps you going musically?
Most recently, in this age of streaming and backlines and flying out to fests and “please sign this tax form so we can give you a 1099” and Taco Bell commercials, there are also bands who play 92 shows in 90 straight days entirely DIY. I love that. Our motto has always been “We Will Play Your Basement”, if I’m ever in a hardcore band that’s above that, I’m probably not having fun, and neither are you. -James
How has the response been to the new material?
People feel like it’s a good continuation from the last record, and I really feel that too. It’s faster, harder, and more interesting writing, but if you disagree, the record doubles as a great coaster for a Big Gulp. -James
How has WAR Records supported you (in addition to releasing your albums)?
For our prepared statement regarding Andrew Kline / War Records, his marketing acumen towards hardcore music worldwide and his humanitarian efforts in locating lost or missing individuals, please call 833.HM.INVSN – James
What are your upcoming plans?
We have some shows before the end of the year lined up, Cro-Mags in Chicago, a week on the road in the midwest, Snow and Flurry Fest in Minneapolis, Rust Belt Ripper Fest in Cleveland, maybe something else very cool, we’ll see. -James
How is Home Invasion different from other bands you’ve been in?
The average IQ of the band is 32, which is prophetic. -James
Please add anything else that may be important.
World I Hate just recorded a new record and Portillos is now serving breakfast. -James (and Nick)
Preorder the album here.
Follow the band on Instagram
Photos by Kyle Bergfors
