The Armed

The Armed, a singularly inventive and offbeat Detroit-rooted punk collective, first surfaced in 2009 with a volatile, shape-shifting sound that drew from noise rock, hardcore, garage punk, electronicore, and pop. Deeply committed to D.I.Y. principles while shielding their identities, the group also became known for extravagant publicity stunts, performance-art interventions, and deliberate misinformation campaigns. After self-releasing three albums and several EPs on their own, they delivered their widely praised fourth full-length, Ultrapop, in 2021, then returned two years later with the dense, high-profile Perfect Saviors.

The band’s recorded history opened in 2009 with These Are Lights, produced by Converge’s Kurt Ballou, a recurring studio partner. Subsequent EPs showcased an ever-changing lineup and featured guests such as Dillinger Escape Plan drummer Chris Pennie. Baptists’ Nick Yacyshyn handled drums on the ferocious 2015 follow-up Untitled. A live album, Unanticipated, arrived in 2016, after which the studio effort Only Love appeared in 2018 with drumming contributions from Converge’s Ben Koller. In 2020 the collective placed “Night City Aliens” on the Cyberpunk 2077 soundtrack; the following year they unveiled their most celebrated release to date, the forward-looking heavy-pop statement Ultrapop. For 2023’s expansive hardcore-pop album Perfect Saviors they enlisted Julien Baker, former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, Illuminati Hotties’ Sarah Tudzin, and Jane’s Addiction’s Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins.