Varials

About Varials

Varials came out of Philadelphia in 2014, right when heavy music was figuring out what to do with the deathcore-meets-beatdown sound that bands like Knocked Loose were starting to make work. The lineup coalesced around vocalist Travis Tabron and guitarist James Hohenwarter, pulling from the kind of metallic hardcore that prioritizes punishing breakdowns over anything resembling melody or hope.

Their early EPs caught attention in the underground, but it was 2017's "Pain Again" on Fearless Records that put them on the map. The album doesn't reinvent anything, but it executes the vision with enough conviction that it matters. Tracks like "Empire of Dirt" and "Separated" deliver the kind of crushing, downtuned riffs and guttural vocals that work best at high volume in sweaty basements. The production is thick and suffocating in the way this music should be.

They followed up in 2019 with "In Darkness," which showed some evolution beyond pure brutality. The record still hits hard, but songs like "Anything to Numb" and "Trauma" suggest a band learning to build tension instead of just releasing it constantly. There's still nothing you'd mistake for accessible, but the dynamics improved. They toured heavily around this release, sharing stages with Knocked Loose, Currents, and Fit for an Autopsy, cementing their place in the modern metalcore and hardcore circuit.

The band went through some lineup changes, which is standard for this level of touring life. By 2022's "Scars for You to Remember," they'd settled into a slightly different configuration but kept the core sound intact. This one leans even harder into groove-oriented metalcore, with cleaner production that some fans debated online. Songs like "Regression" show a band willing to slow things down occasionally, though the breakdowns still arrive like clockwork.

What makes Varials interesting, if that's the right word for music this relentlessly bleak, is their commitment to a specific aesthetic. Tabron's lyrics don't traffic in metaphor or fantasy. It's all internal collapse, failed relationships, mental health struggles delivered with the subtlety of a brick. The music matches that energy, rarely offering catharsis or resolution. It just sits in the discomfort.

They've remained active on the touring circuit, regularly appearing at major hardcore and metal festivals. The band isn't chasing mainstream crossover, and their streaming numbers reflect a dedicated but specific audience. They know what they do well and keep doing it, which in heavy music is often more valuable than trying to expand your sound into irrelevance.

As of now, they continue writing and performing, existing in that middle tier of heavy bands who can headline smaller venues and support bigger acts without much drama. Not a household name, but respected within their scene for doing one thing and doing it without apology.

Varials shows draw crowds that actually listen instead of just waiting for breakdowns. Sets feel deliberate and tight, with the band locking into each song without unnecessary theatrics. Mosh pits form but feel more conversational than aggressive. Real presence in the room.

Known for Goodbye, Immanence, Habit, Collapse, Mending

See Varials Live