DS Album Review – Mr. Radical – “Promo!” EP

Mr. Radical, the four-piece hardcore punk band from Anaheim, CA., has recently released Promo! on January 23rd, 2026.

I was excited when I came across Mr. Radical’s six‑song promo/EP on Bandcamp so today I’ll be diving in and reviewing it.

Mr. Radical, comprised of Andrew Gonzales on vocals and guitar, Max Foster on guitar, Gavin Smith on bass, and Chris Sigur on drums, are adding their touch to the energetic sounds that were pumped into Orange County in the 1980’s. Think of the blistering tempos of Black Flag, with a similar rawness to other hardcore punk bands from California like Holehog and Clit 45.

The EP, Promo!, packs six songs into eleven minutes – it’s fast‑paced, raw but cleanly recorded, and occasionally threaded with a skateboarding theme.

The vocals are awesome, a hardcore sound that you can understand, and the energy is contagious. Their bass is a standout for me as well, it’s very audible throughout the EP; especially in their intros and in transitions to breaks or outros. Their guitar riffs get your head nodding to their melodies, and the drums are spot on with tight fills during short transitions and variation in the choice of drums used in longer transitions.

Great changeups in songs that are mostly under two minutes.

Track 1, Mr. Radical, is an introduction to the band and EP. The guitar is frantic sounding, setting the tempo for the rest of the EP. The bass guitar is having fun walking the fret board. It’s an awesome song.

Track 2, Hardcore Sucks, has a mellow intro, followed by a drum roll, transitioning right back to the fast pace heard on track one. The intensity in the vocals draws you in.

Track 3, Vertical, has a catchy guitar that sways and pulls you, making you want to get in a slam pit. It has a nice combination of drums during a break in the song. This song goes along with their skateboarding theme.

Track 4 Shreddin‘, is my favorite track from the demo. It’s dynamic, with varying changes in speed. The bass guitar is busy on this one.

Track 5 No Friend, brings the angst, I really like the lyrics on this track. The guitar is awesome, and it feels like the bass riff and guitar are bouncing off each other.

Track 6, Yayuh, is a fun song, I think this is a definite crowd favorite.

I dig their sound and hope to hear and see more from them. Hopefully Dying Scene can catch up with Mr. Radical soon for some interview questions.

Go check them out!