Cro-Mags

Cro-Mags formed in New York in 1982, founded by bassist Harley Flanagan, and became one of the defining bands of the Lower East Side hardcore scene. How the band actually came together is disputed even among its own founders: guitarist Parris Mayhew has said it grew out of flyers he posted around the city, while Flanagan's own account traces the group back further, to 1980. Lineups shifted constantly in the early years before the Cro-Mags name settled.

Their 1986 debut, The Age of Quarrel, paired the speed and aggression of hardcore punk with metallic riffing and precision, and it is routinely cited as a foundational record for crossover thrash. The band went on to release six studio albums in total, with the follow-up, Best Wishes, pushing further toward metal.

The band's lyrics drew heavily on street life in 1980s New York and on Hare Krishna philosophy, a combination that set them apart from their peers and made them a template for the Krishnacore offshoot of hardcore that followed.

Their history has been marked by long periods of inactivity and disputes over the name and lineup. A 2019 settlement between Flanagan and former singer John Joseph and drummer Mackie Jayson gave Flanagan exclusive rights to the Cro-Mags name, with Joseph and Jayson continuing as Cro-Mags JM. Despite leaving and rejoining the band at various points, Flanagan remains the only musician to appear on every Cro-Mags album, and the early records remain reference points for hardcore bands decades later.