XCOMM

Hard as nails and punk to their core, Venice Beach upstarts XCOMM are a stage-diving, riff-belching, fire-breathing monster of a band forged by a fierce determination to lay waste to the notion that new bands can’t slay the old way.

XCOMM are frontman Michael Gatto, guitarist Jay Vargas, bassist Adan Escoto, drummer Revel Ian and DJ Hunter Grogan. The band’s name is short for Excommunicate, as Revel explains, but the most important thing to know is that the musical soul of their band is extreme, emotional and hits like an anvil to the face.

“XCOMM is hardcore through our lens. It’s lightning in a bottle. We work hard at it and I think that shows in the quality of the songs,” says Ian.

Produced by Ross Robinson whose name is a 21st century byword for musical vision and whose era-defining achievements include discovering bands like Glassjaw, Slipknot, and Korn, XCOMM’s upcoming debut album, *Time To Burn* is an uppercut to the senses.

12 perfectly crafted hand grenades which XCOMM lob with almost alarming precision, playing with the confidence and muscularity of a veteran band that somehow passed you by the first time.

“XCOMM is the wild zone,” says Robinson. “It’s bad-ass Venice Beach kids ripping with absolute fury. I felt so alive recording this one. Kids screaming, flying around the studio, laying down raw performances making their world come alive. This is the sound of unfiltered youth. F*ck you and f*ck off. It’s the ultimate cool.”

From the ferocious assault of album openers *Reasons* and *Hot Pursuit* — a pressurized bottle of rage with an “XCOMM is coming” lyrical hook that perfectly summarizes the essence of the band.

Things soon lighten with the punk-rock bounce of a gleefully self-explanatory *Fake ID*, but this is a record that reflects the lived experiences of XCOMM’s members with a visceral, furious energy that demands to be witnessed live.

There is also depth amid the fury. With moments of darkness like *Negativity*, a David Lynch inspired dirge, or the anthemic uplift of *Running Zeroes*, XCOMM’s songwriting chops bespeak a maturity beyond their years.

“Ross Robinson is a priest and working with him is like going to church,” says Jay of the recording process. “He helped us get all of our raw built up energy and feelings out onto a tape machine to create a killer record.”

“Ross was such an amazing guy to work with,” adds bassist Adan Escoto. “Working with him was brutal but he gave a shit in a way that’s rare.”

And with an impressive recent signing to underground champions Blowed Out Records, the incubator-like brainchild of Robinson, Ghostmane, and Bill Armstrong, the story of XCOMM is only just beginning.

“XCOMM is aggressive music for impressionable minds,” says Michael Gatto. “It’s about driving energy and power, quick, deliberate, and authentic.”

With an incendiary debut full length coming in early 2026, it’s time to get involved or get out of their way. As DJ Hunter Grogan puts it, “XCOMM is coming for your life.”