Rotting Out is a young band out of the Southern California area churning out the kind of bareknuckle songs that made hardcore acts like Outburst and Killing Time so irresistible in the late '80s. The group's recently released 'Street Prowl' album is a no-nonsense 11-song collection that deserves much more attention than a lot of other more-hyped records are getting lately.

"We've been a band for about four years now. Our original singer left us because he had to take on a full-time job. After talking about it for a while, we all decided that I would become the new singer. I didn't want to do it at first, but I finally gave in and it's worked," laughs Rotting Out vocalist Walter Delgado. He's called Noisecreep during a break from his current part-time job. "I'm just trying to save up money since we'll be on tour a lot in the next few months."

Originally Delgado played guitar in the band and then switched over to bass. The musical chairs situation was tough to adjust to at first, but Rotting Out's fans have made the transition a bit easier for him to handle. "I've been whoring around this band [laughs]. The new album is the first release with me singing on it and the reaction has been really positive so far. A lot of them have actually said they prefer the new album to our older stuff. People are stoked on the band right now and it's inspired me to keep doing it."

Delgado has also had the kind of tough upbringing that inspired gang movie classics like 'Colors' and 'American Me.'

"Me, our guitarist, and bassist, all grew up in San Pedro, Calif. It's kind of like the butthole of the South Bay. It's where the ghetto meets the sea. I grew up in the projects there. It was sketchy. I've seen my share of drive-bys and bodies dropping. The new Rotting Out album talks a lot about that negativity.

Listen to 'Laugh Now, Die Later' From Rotting Out


"My family situation wasn't that ideal for me. I never felt like I could be myself around them. So I spent a lot of time on the streets and hanging with my friends and getting drunk at a young age. I finally started going to hardcore and punk shows to find something that felt right. You know what, 'Street Prowl' is sort of like my memoir when I think about it," reveals Delgado.

6131 Records
6131 Records
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Before the interview finished, the frontman left Noisecreep with a tasty bit of trivia. "The photo that we used for the 'Street Prowl' album cover was actually taken on the street I grew up on."

Rotting Out's 'Street Prowl' is available now via 6131 Records.

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