Arms Race (band)

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Arms Race

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| origin = London, England

| genre = Hardcore punk

| years_active = 2012–2019

| label = Quality Control, La Vida Es Un Mus, Painkiller

| spinoff_of = Violent Reaction

| spinoffs = {{hlist|Chubby and the Gang|{{nowrap|the Chisel}}}}

| website =

| current_members =

| past_members = *Nicholas "Stab" Sarnella

Ola Herbich
Charlie "Chubby Charles" Fresh
Nicky Rat
LLoyd Clipston
Oli McVean
Patrick Henderson
Tom Pimlott

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Arms Race were an English hardcore punk band formed in London in 2012. They were a part of the New Wave of British Hardcore.{{cite web |title=HIGHER POWER PLAYED THE DR. MARTENS BOOT ROOM AND IT WAS WILD |url=https://www.kerrang.com/video/higher-power-played-the-dr-martens-boot-room-and-it-was-wild/ |website=Kerrang! |accessdate=15 November 2019}}{{cite web |last1=GILLIS |first1=CARLA |title=Not Dead Yet unveils more programming: Warthog, Vexx, No Tolerance |date=9 August 2016 |url=https://nowtoronto.com/music/not-dead-yet-2016-unveils-more-bands/ |accessdate=16 November 2019}}

History

Arms Race was formed at end of 2012, by Nick Stab, Ola Herbich, Patrick Henderson and Oli McVean in an attempt to make music that merged the sounds of United Blood, Condemned 84 and The Partisans. They released their first demo as a band in 2013.

On 1 October 2014, they released their debut EP Gotta Get Out, through Quality Control HQ and Painkiller Records.{{cite web |title=Photos: Violent Reaction at Second Empire in Philly |date=29 June 2015 |url=https://blowthescene.com/exclusives/violent-reaction-second-empire.html |accessdate=16 November 2019}} In April 2015, they played Washington D.C.'s Damaged City Festival.{{cite web |title=Here's Your First Look at Damaged City Festival 2015 |url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ryzm8g/first-look-at-damaged-city-festival-2015 |website=Vice Media |date=8 December 2014 |accessdate=15 November 2019}} In June 2015, they toured the U.S. with co-headliner Violent Reaction.{{cite web |title=UK Hardcore Band Violent Reaction Say "Leave Me Out" on New Revelation LP |url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/64yd7b/violent-reaction-leave-me-out |website=Vice Media |date=10 February 2015 |accessdate=14 November 2019}}{{cite web |title=UK Hardcore Band Violent Reaction Say "Leave Me Out" On New Revelation LP |url=https://www.londonmusichall.co.uk/uk-hardcore-band-violent-reaction-say-leave-me-out-on-new-revelation-lp/ |accessdate=15 November 2019}} The same year, Henderson departed from the band, due to scheduling issues, and artist Nicky Rat from Belgium, took on his role.

In October 2016, they played Toronto's No Dead Yet Festival.{{cite web |title=Not Dead Yet 2016 initial lineup (GLOSS, Turnstile, etc) ++ Lock playing NYC|url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/not-dead-yet-2016-initial-lineup-gloss-turnstile-etc-lock-playing-nyc/ |accessdate=16 November 2019}} In October 2017, they toured Japan.{{cite web |title=British hardcore band Arms Race announce Japan tour dates |date=8 July 2017 |url=https://uniteasia.org/british-hardcore-band-arms-race-announce-japan-tourdates/ |accessdate=15 November 2019}} On 8 February 2018, they released their second EP The Best through La Vida Es Un Mus and Painkiller Records.{{cite web |last1=Hereth |first1=Simon |title=ARMS RACE RELEASES NEW EP "THE BEAST" |date=5 February 2018 |url=https://www.awayfromlife.com/arms-race-veroeffentlicht-neue-ep-the-beast/ |accessdate=16 November 2019}} In September 2018, they played on the Saturday of Ready Festival,{{cite web |last1=Gabell |first1=Matt |title=Ready Fest: Merauder, Arms Race, Insist + Other HC Greats Pummel London (PHOTOS) |url=https://www.noecho.net/features/ready-fest-merauder-photos |accessdate=15 November 2019}} followed by playing a free show at London's Dr. Martens store with Higher Power and Stages in Faith. In April 2018, they played Damaged City Festival 2018.{{cite web |last1=PESSARO |first1=FRED |title=HARDCORE AND PUNK FESTIVAL DAMAGED CITY REVEALS 2018 LINEUP |date=27 October 2017 |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/hardcore-and-punk-festival-damaged-city-reveals-2018-lineup |accessdate=16 November 2019}}

They played their final show at Damage is Done festival on 22 November 2019, with The Flex, Payday, Ekulu and Big Cheese.{{cite web |last1=Hereth |first1=Simon |title=ARMS RACE - BRITISH HARDCORE PUNK BAND DISSOLVES |date=22 October 2019 |url=https://www.awayfromlife.com/arms-race-britische-hardcore-punk-band-loest-sich-auf/ |accessdate=15 November 2019}} Ola Herbich was one of several guest vocalists to contribute to Raise Your Voice Joyce: Contemporary Shouts From Contemporary Voices, a compilation of music covertly recorded by the Canadian band Fucked Up in 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2010942/did-fucked-up-make-a-raise-your-voice-joyce-companion-piece-compilation/music/|title=Did Fucked Up Make A Dose Your Dreams Companion Piece Compilation?|last=Breihan|first=Tom|website=Stereogum|date=20 August 2018|accessdate=13 September 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/here_is_fucked_ups_secret_comp_raise_your_voice_joyce|title=Here Is Fucked Up's "Secret" Comp 'Raise Your Voice Joyce'|date=24 October 2018|website=Exclaim!|accessdate=13 September 2024}}

Musical style

The band's music merges elements of U.S. hardcore bands like early Agnostic Front and SSD with U.K. hardcore like Chaos UK and Charged GBH, as well as elements of oi! and death metal.{{cite web |last1=Alva |first1=Freddy |title=The New Wave of British Hardcore |url=https://www.noecho.net/features/the-new-wave-of-british-hardcore |accessdate=15 November 2019}}{{cite web |title=Arms Race The Beast E.P. (2018) |url=https://www.punknews.org/review/15695/arms-race-the-beast-ep |accessdate=15 November 2019}} Their earliest influences were the sounds of United Blood, Condemned 84 and the Partisans.{{cite journal |title=Arms Race |journal=Classe Criminelle |issue=1}} They are considered a hardcore punk band.{{cite web |last1=Breihan |first1=Tom |title=Stream Arms Race The Beast EP |date=5 February 2018 |url=https://www.stereogum.com/1981711/stream-arms-race-the-beast-ep/music/album-stream/ |accessdate=15 November 2019}}{{cite web |title=ARMS RACE |url=https://www.nts.live/artists/27068-arms-race |accessdate=16 November 2019}} In an article for Stereogum, Tom Breihan described them as "what might’ve happened if Motörhead had decided that they wanted to be Youth Of Today".