Biography
Emerging from Los Angeles, CNTS produces a chaotic strain of hardcore punk laced with thrash-metal edges that yields both recordings and performances marked by vigor and emotional purging. Ipecac Records issued the group’s first album, Cunts, in 2019 under that original moniker; by the time the 2024 follow-up Thoughts and Prayers arrived, the banner had been trimmed to CNTS and the hostility had grown sharper still.
The project began in 2018 when several participants in the L.A. punk community assembled, among them Qui’s vocalist Matt Cronk, Dead Cross guitarist Mike Crain, and musicians with past or present connections to Retox, Hepa.Titus, and Virginia Reed. Their self-titled debut surfaced in 2019 and soon established a following for the band’s ferocious concerts, some of which were booked alongside OFF!. After a grave car crash impaired Cronk’s singing and speech, the group stepped back for recovery and resurfaced in 2023 with a modestly revised lineup. The ensuing year brought Thoughts and Prayers, their second album, which rendered the hardcore intensity more cohesive, eloquent, and at times even melodic.
The project began in 2018 when several participants in the L.A. punk community assembled, among them Qui’s vocalist Matt Cronk, Dead Cross guitarist Mike Crain, and musicians with past or present connections to Retox, Hepa.Titus, and Virginia Reed. Their self-titled debut surfaced in 2019 and soon established a following for the band’s ferocious concerts, some of which were booked alongside OFF!. After a grave car crash impaired Cronk’s singing and speech, the group stepped back for recovery and resurfaced in 2023 with a modestly revised lineup. The ensuing year brought Thoughts and Prayers, their second album, which rendered the hardcore intensity more cohesive, eloquent, and at times even melodic.
Albums
Singles
