Ελληνικά
Death Before Dishonor (DBD or sometimes DB4D) hail from Boston, Massachusetts and have been bringing us hard-hitting Boston-style hardcore punk since 2000. With influences from classic hardcore bands like Agnostic Front, Sick of It All, Merauder and Hatebreed, they combine the ferocity and energy of hardcore with more solid, “groove” riffs and aggressive breakdowns.
The band began releasing their first works through Spook City Records in the early 2000s. In 2005 they signed with Bridge Nine Records, which marked a turning point in their career. Since then, they have toured extensively, appearing worldwide in Europe, America and other continents. I don’t think they have left a continent unexplored except Antarctica.
On vocals we find Bryan Harris from the band’s early days to this day, Ben Hilton on drums, Greg Chihoski on bass and Ben “B-Roll” Kelly and Justin Viera on guitars. Although DBH has experienced many line-up changes over the years, this core has remained the same for the last two to three years. Among the previous members, there have been guitarists and rhythm players who contributed to the evolution of the sound, such as Erik Deitz and Frankie Puopolo.
To date, they have released several albums and several EPs and singles. On the occasion of their visit to our country and their stops in Thessaloniki and Athens, we will do a journalistic review of their career in order to slowly get into the atmosphere of the concerts.
Taking a general overview of their releases, DBD are characterized by a “tough-guy hardcore” sound, with solid riffs, aggressive breakdowns and usually high rhythmic intensity. Their lyrics are dominated by themes such as faith, devotion, friendship, self-sacrifice and endurance in the face of difficulties. They have given over 1000 concerts worldwide, sharing the stage with huge hardcore bands such as Agnostic Front, Madball, Terror, Sick of It All and Hatebreed. Their energetic presence in the live environment has established the band as one of the hardest working on the scene. As part of the Boston scene, DBD connects the tradition of East Coast / NYHC hardcore with a more “modern” approach. Their long-standing presence and stable partnership with Bridge Nine Records show commitment, consistency and credibility. Their lyrical and musical consistency with themes such as loyalty and integrity make them a “bridge” between old hardcore values and modern challenges.
Let’s take a look at their full-length releases. DBD’s debut True Till Death (2002) was released through Spook City Records and established the band as a dynamic presence in hardcore scene. Pure, extreme hardcore punk with a dynamic “tough-guy” aesthetic and lyrics that speak of patience, survival and dedication to the crew, elements that would accompany the band throughout its entire career. Its duration (approximately 42 minutes) demonstrates that it was not simply a collection of short songs, but an attempt was made to create a sonic variety from the beginning and to build a foundation on which they would like to support their subsequent career.
“Friends Family Forever” (2005) is their second studio album, but their first release with Bridge Nine Records. The title reflects the band’s strong emphasis on relationships, community, and solidarity, themes that are central to the philosophy of the hardcore scene. Here they present a more “solid” sound, while the support they received from their label is immediately evident. A fairly to the point album with a duration of close to twenty minutes.
Two years later, Count Me In (2007) came out, which catapulted them into popularity and was decisive for their subsequent career. It was released on May 22, 2007, produced by Jim Siegel, and includes songs with strong messages of resistance, self-analysis, and belief in personal power. The album cover was also designed by Jacob Bannon (Converge), which gives it an “artistic” semantic weight. Here, DBD reinforce their groove points and breakdowns, producing a sound that balances between pure primitivism and melodicity.
DBD’s fourth album “Better Ways to Die” (2009), again with Bridge Nine, lasts about 24 minutes and is a concentrated core of hardcore anger and provocation. The title “Better Ways to Die” can be interpreted as a harsh statement about sacrifice, honor and the pervasive feeling that there are situations where it is not enough to just survive, you have to stand until the end with your head held high. There is absolutely no filler track or point within the tracks. At the same time, the production remains “hard” and precise, easily transmitting to us all that anger that the Boston crew had inside.
After several years of abstinence from full-length releases, DBD returned with Unfinished Business (2019) again through Bridge Nine Records, where they played ball by combining punk and metal elements, creating something quite innovative, as the press of the time said. Its production was handled in the studio of Zeuss (known for collaborations with Hatebreed, Rob Zombie), giving depth, clarity and power to their sound. From a lyrical point of view, “unfinished business” implies that the band has left something open: it can concern relationships, faith, personal battles or the ongoing course of the hardcore scene. It is also a way of declaring that they have not finished anything, neither as a band, nor as a community.
Their most recent album, Nowhere Bound, was released in May 2025 via Bridge Nine. According to drummer Ben Hilton, their themes are evolving: they discuss not only old values, such as “loyalty” and “friendship”, but also more mature issues such as maintaining principles as you grow older, internal conflict, mental health and the crisis of society. The sound is aggressive, with thrashy riffs and dynamic rhythmic points, while critics emphasize that the band remains “very relevant” and authentic, always with Zeuss holding the helm of production. The recordings were made in studios such as Rock Valley and Planet-Z. Synthetically, the album is characterized aggressive drums and intense vocals, while songs such as “Pushed to the Edge” and “Overruled” combine mosh, gang-chant points and stage tension.
Death Before Dishonor are currently on tour with Terror and are set to make two stops in Greece: Sunday, November 30th at Arch Club in Athens and Monday, December 1st in Thessaloniki at Block 33. Be there or be square!
