Watch the video for Aggros’ 1st single, ‘Chaos Magic’.

Cro-Mags songwriter and founder Parris Mayhew has returned with a new instrumental hardcore/metal band, Aggros, and a brand-new single, ‘Chaos Magic’. Fans who are accustomed to a big rock production sound from Mayhew’s guitar sound and production will find that ‘Chaos Magic’ is more streamlined and raw. The track was recorded live in one afternoon with little or no punches and feels alive and human, without today’s modern digital stiffness, just a balls-out rocker. The video is peppered with nods and impressions to tell people who Mayhew is as a person and artist. He played roles, versions of himself, at different stages of his life over the years. He plays his trademark red BC Rich BICH guitar, wearing a leather jacket, high top Adidas sneakers, with tied his hair up and shoved it in a baseball cap to look like he did when he started the Cro-Mags leading up the ‘Age Of Quarrel’ era. Another character is with his hair out, playing the White G&L guitar, like his Best Wishes or Revenge stage in life. Then there is Mayhew of the present, on his bike, continuing to ride across the bridge, watching the video he envisioned unfold just as he saw it in his head as he rides past himself, but now he’s also in the video.

Aggros will release music in a true DIY hardcore style – no label, self-releasing one song at a time, accompanied by a video for each. The music will sound and feel familiar to anyone who knows Mayhew’s previous three albums, as Aggros is simply a continuation of his musical exploration. Mayhew used the COVID-19 NYC lockdown and empty streets of Manhattan to his advantage, making nightly excursions to film anywhere from two to six hours a night. He shot close ups one night, guitar shots another and bike shots another. With clear ideas in his head, he knew exactly how he would make the video. But doing it with a crew of one became challenging and exhausting so Mayhew took his time. He shot at night and didn’t see people for hours, and often shooting until sunrise. The bridge was his, he would trek up the bridge night after night for 22 nights with a camera, tripod, lights, three guitars, stands, sandbags and wardrobe changes. Mayhew would set up the shots with his lone assistant – a young electrician named Scott, whom Mayhew had mentored into the film business – holding a guitar while Mayhew lit him, then two would change places, essentially making the video an elaborate selfie.

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Photo: Guy Furrow