Pain of Truth

Michael Smith formed Pain of Truth on Long Island after his previous band, Hangman, broke up following the release of their 2019 album One By One. Smith had earlier played guitar in Stand Your Ground and sung for Numbskull, and traces his interest in hardcore to seeing his older brothers' band, Backtrack, play its first show.

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, Smith began recording instrumental demos and sent them to Andrew "Lumpy" Wojcik of Daze Records, who encouraged him to add vocals. The result, No Blame… Just Facts, appeared in July 2020 with guest vocalists on nearly every track, among them King Nine, Billy Club Sandwich and Life's Question. A full band, including drummer Chris Rini and guitarist Nik Hansen, formed around the recordings.

Their sound draws on the heavier end of New York hardcore, mid-paced, riff-driven and built for pit sections, with elements of beatdown and metallic hardcore in the guitar work. The band has built a reputation on guest features, drawing appearances from hardcore figures such as Freddy Cricien, Scott Vogel and Justice Tripp.

The album Not Through Blood, released in September 2023, raised their profile considerably within the current hardcore scene. Its singles carried features from Steve Buhl of 200 Stab Wounds, Josiah Hoeflinger of Criminal Instinct, and Madball's Freddy Cricien. Drummer Nick Barker replaced Chris Rini around the same time.

The band has become a frequent presence on hardcore bills in the US and abroad, touring in support of acts including Drain, Terror and Gulch, and sharing stages with Life of Agony and Sick of It All.