Hardcore punk is meant to be messy, impatient, and a little bit unhinged, and XCOMM clearly didn’t get the memo about toning it down. The Venice Beach unit have just dropped their new single and music video Fake ID, and it’s exactly the kind of short, sharp blast you want from a band that sounds like they’re playing every song with something to prove.
Fake ID is pure frustration turned into fuel. Written by frontman Michael Gatto after getting knocked back from one too many shows for being under 21, the track is about being locked out, underestimated, and refusing to sit quietly until someone lets you in. It’s snotty, fast, and hits like a shove to the chest, with a beatdown core that makes it clear XCOMM aren’t interested in polishing the edges.
The video leans fully into that attitude too. Instead of trying to look tough, the band go the other way, wandering around town dressed as grandmas before ending things by walking straight into the ocean. It’s stupid in the best way, self aware, and fits the song perfectly. As Gatto puts it, it’s about wanting to see bands, getting turned away, and laughing at the whole thing while still being annoyed enough to write a song about it.
What makes this release hit even harder is the timing. Tonight, XCOMM step onto one of the biggest stages of their young career, supporting Foo Fighters at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. The show is a sold out charity concert benefiting Hope The Mission and Los Angeles Mission, and it also happens to land on Dave Grohl’s birthday. Not bad for a hardcore band that formed in 2023 and still feels like they’re operating with a chip on their shoulder.
Fake ID is the second taste of XCOMM’s upcoming debut album Time To Burn, produced by Ross Robinson. If that name rings bells, it should. Robinson’s track record speaks for itself, and his involvement makes sense here. This is raw, confrontational music that doesn’t overstay its welcome. It kicks the door in, says its piece, and gets out.
XCOMM have already been quietly building momentum, opening for bands like Hatebreed, showing up at Milwaukee Metal Fest, and landing on under the radar lists, but this feels like a proper step forward. Loud, reckless, and funny without losing any bite, Fake ID is the sound of a band that knows exactly who they are, even if they’re still technically too young to get into the room.
If this is what they’re doing before the debut album even lands, it might be time to stop sleeping on them.
