Cro-Mags just released a new lyric video for their track, “The Final Test” which starts out fast with lyrics displayed throughout. The new song will be included in the bands upcoming album, In The Beginning, set for release worldwide on June 19 via Mission Two Entertainment. Cro-Mags feature the legendary Harley Flanagan with bass and lead vocals, guitarists Gabby Abularach, Rocky George (Suicidal Tendencies, Fishbone), and drummer Garry “G-Man” Sullivan.
The lyrics in the new track are meaningful, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. The lyrics include verses like, “There is a time. A time to hold on. A time to let go. These are the things. That we must learn. That we have to know. Is the meaning of life. Is it just a test. To find peace of mind. Living with love. Love in your heart. Free of remorse. Knowing how to love. And how to let go. To free your mind. To free your soul. And as you near. Your time of death. You will find peace. As you draw your last breath.”
In 2019, the band released two back-to-back EPs (Don’t’ Give In and From The Grave) the first releases from the group in almost 20 years. Regarding the new track, “The Final Test,” Cro-Mags founder, bassist and lyricist Harley Flanagan shared, “Will you be afraid or will you be at peace when you die? This song is about finding peace and facing death fearlessly, which is in my opinion, the final test.”
As the Coronavirus pandemic took hold of the world and concert dates began to shuffle, Cro-Mags took action and was one of the first artists to deliver an honest, raw, in-your-face concert set with “The Quarantine Show,” filmed live in NYC on March 15, 2020. Last year, they supported the Misfits and compiled footage for their first music video in 27 years with “No One’s Victim.” The band is scheduled to perform in Japan this November, supporting Circle Jerks with other dates to come.
The Cro-Mags long history began in New York City’s Lower East Side back in 1981, where Flanagan recorded some of the group’s early four-track demos. The band is known for pulling from a variety of styles from thrash, metal and punk, making them one of the groups that stand out in the hardcore scene, due to their eclectic influences and large cult following. Numerous iconic bands from Metallica to Green Day, and individuals such as Dave Grohl have credited Cro-Mags with having had a primal influence on their development.
Born out of the violence and depravity of the Lower East Side of New York in the late ’70s and early ’80s, the Cro-Mags was the brainchild of Harley Flanagan (at age 14 years old) when still playing with The Stimulators. In 1982 and 1983, he wrote and recorded the very first Cro-Mags demos, consisting of four songs that would become the blueprint for the seminal 1986 “Age Of Quarrel”. He wrote all of the music, played each instrument and sang. Before long, he connected with Parris Mayhew and the two started writing music and auditioning band members.
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