photos by John Mourlas
Chicago’s politically motivated grindcore faction NEQUIENT has just issued a new video for “Obsolete Machines.” The song can be found on the band’s ultra-mangling third LP, Avarice, out now on Nefarious Industries.
How can artists and musicians respond to an era when jackbooted thugs descend on U.S. cities, tech billionaires blithely deploy technologies calculated to wipe out the livelihoods of millions, and misinformation controls the rage of the masses? For Chicago’s grinding metallic hardcore misfits NEQUIENT, the answer is to get even angrier and weirder. Avarice is the culmination of NEQUIENT having spent more than a decade evolving their unique synthesis of extreme metal and hardcore in the depths of the aggressive music underground. Honing the adventurous songwriting and lyrical venom exhibited on previous releases, the unrelenting assault of Avarice blasts listeners out of complacency with withering screeds against the malignant forces ravaging our world.
Produced by Sanford Parker (Eyehategod, Yob, Lair Of The Minotaur) and mastered by Collin Jordan (Harm’s Way, Windhand, Voivod), the album features intricate artwork by Arifullah Ali, design by Scott Shellhamer (American Heritage, Buried At Sea, Coffinworm), and guest synth contributions from Kevin Kalay and Circa Tapes all contribute to an atmosphere of existential horror.
Watch NEQUIENT’s brutally direct “Obsolete Machines” video now playing RIGHT HERE.
The “Obsolete Machines” video infuses live footage from NEQUIENT’s hometown release show for Avarice. The entire set is also now playing HERE.
Avarice is out now on gatefold splatter vinyl LP, cassette, CD, and digital formats at Nefarious Industries where the videos for “Mad King / Fool” and “Christofascist Zombie Brigade” are playing HERE.
Following their Midwest tour with Black Cross Hotel and hometown release show, NEQUIENT is about to hit the road again with shows in Madison and Appleton in Wisconsin June 5th and 6th, followed by their Summer tour, running from July 9th out to the East Coast and back, ending July 18th. See all currently confirmed dates below and watch for additional dates to be added in the days ahead.
NEQUIENT Tour Dates:
6/05/2026 Mickey’s Tavern – Madison, WI w/ Corridoré, Garden Scars
6/06/2026 Missfits Tavern – Appleton, WI w/ Corridoré, Drillbit
7/09/2026 Dunlap’s Corner Bar – Cleveland, OH w/ Atomic Witch, RST, Casket Splinter
7/10/2026 The Wood Shop – Brooklyn, NY
7/11/2026 TBA
7/12/2026 The Camel – Richmond, VA w/ Sploot, Pyramid Mass
7/13/2026 The Den – Winston-Salem, NC
7/15/2026 27 Club – Asheville, NC w/ Graven Lore, Normal American, Feral Wretch
7/16/2026 Ormsby Cafe – Pittsburgh, PA w/ Passing Bell, Terminal Intensity, Leech Forward
7/17/2026 The Hidden Gem – Dayton, OH
7/18/2026 North End Pub – Lafayette, IN
7/25/2026 Reed’s Local – Chicago, IL
“The immediate comparison is to Converge, although NEQUIENT utilize less abruptness. Yet, they still deliver unpredictably spazzy flourishes and an algebraic feel by thrusting bits of beats forward and extending bars by half-measures here and there.” – Decibel Magazine
“Framed as a furious response to modern decay, the band have positioned the record as both a sonic and ideological assault.” – Metal Injection
“NEQUIENT really impressed me with this one. Avarice is a nerve-flayed, teeth-grinding listen that captures the low-grade panic and spiritual exhaustion of modern life with alarming precision. Rather than settling for dime-a-dozen mathcore spasms or rote metallic bludgeoning, the Chicago crew stitches together dissonance, groove, chaos, and razor-wire technicality into something far more purposeful. It’s punishing without being empty, intricate without disappearing up its own ass, and memorable enough to demand repeat spins.” – Angry Metal Guy
“NEQUIENT have shown a vast improvement in their performances and songwriting on Avarice. Their technical skills are sharper than ever… Despite the righteous fury, Avarice is the most fun record I’ve heard this year and should rightfully ascend NEQUIENT to one of the most recognizable metal bands in Chicago and the whole of the United States.” – Everything Is Noise
“It’s a veritable cornucopia of grind and camp aesthetics, all blending into one excellent whole. All this horrible joy comes to us from Avarice…” – Heavy Blog Is Heavy
“…NEQUIENT push that sound even further into a dense, confrontational space where grind, d-beat, mathcore, and thrash collide. Given how eclectic their music has become, it’s no surprise the band’s creative DNA comes from a wide spectrum of influences.” – No Echo
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