Street Soldier

Street Soldier from York City, UK

Renowned for their uniquely bludgeoning sound, infamously unforgettable live shows and bile-drenched positivity, Street Soldier are the band that UK hardcore needs right now. A battering ram of grit, determination and resentment for the bad guys in this world, their brand of devastating Murda Style justice needs to be seen, heard and experienced at every possible opportunity.

Starting their journey in 2018 with a short clip of the now iconic “Bully Basher”, the band immediately set about decimating venues up and down the UK. Jumping on shows with deathcore legends Annotations Of An Autopsy and crossover icons TRC, they made a bold statement everywhere they planted their boots. In the years since, they have captivated and terrified audiences up and down the country and across Europe, making stops everywhere from Don Fest in Leeds to Leper Fest in Belgium and playing with the likes of Desolated, Knuckledust, World Of Pain and many more. They even caught the attention of hardcore royalty, hitting the road with the highly influential Cro-Mags in 2022. And even though they are banned from playing in their hometown of York due to the unpredictable reputation of their shows, they always find a way to deliver the goods. Crushing skulls and pumping adrenaline, it’s impossible not to feel empowered and energized by a Street Soldier performance.

A lot of that comes down to vocalist Scotty Hall. 18 stone of pure muscle with a thick Yorkshire twang, he is a force to be reckoned with. Spitting home truths and hard knocks on everything from the importance of looking after your mental health to not letting your local racist get away with such hateful sentiments, it is a job that he takes incredibly seriously. Calling out misogyny, corruption and wrongdoing at every turn, the venom he spits is not for the faint-hearted. Demonstrating what it means to be strong in a world that wants you to be weak and not letting horrible people get away with their prejudice and hatred, he is a shining example of what hardcore should always be about.

Matching Scotty’s energy is drummer/vocalist Laurie “Drill SGT” Caudwell, delivering dancefloor-filling beats and extravagant mosh calls aplenty. Throw in the destructive riffs of guitarist Ollie Altham and the thunderous bass of Cameron Bland, and you have a four-headed force to be reckoned with. Influenced as much by harsh hip-hop and underground gangster rap as guttural death metal and crushing nu-metal, their eclectic palette and knack for penning a life-affirming anthem is unmatched.

Though at the center of all of this are four key things. Strength, loyalty, discipline and respect. Living the best life you can and enjoying every day like it’s your last, the Street Soldier message is firmly rooted in positivity and power. Of not letting the world get the best of you and not letting those who have done wrong get away with their crimes. Of picking each other up and standing up for what is right. As they prepare to share their destructive manifesto even further afield with their upcoming fifth EP, ‘Original Murda Material’, seven tracks of unbridled carnage, they are ready and waiting to give a voice to the voiceless once more.