FFO: The Armed, Refused, Converge
Today, the Parisian hardcore-punk band LUGOSi have released the explosive and emotive lead single ‘Matches‘.
The band’s lead vocalist Pieriv had this to say on the themes surrounding their latest track:
“The match is kind of our unofficial symbol. I love this symbolism: with a match, you can light up the darkness, start fires to warm yourself or watch things burn. It’s a symbol of hope.”
The “hardcore-punk” tag can simply sum up the bands sound but there is an absolute wealth of musicality to discover on their forthcoming LP ‘The Scars‘ which is set for self-release on the 18th of September.
‘The Scars’ is a visceral album, addressing both political and personal themes. It explores memory, trauma, and powerlessness, but also the surges of solidarity and hope that help us endure an increasingly violent world. Their punk, post-hardcore, noise-rock and screamo influences blend effortlessly throughout, forming a dense and cathartic whole, where melodies coexist with dissonance and outbursts of rage.
LUGOSi is a punk-hardcore band that has established itself in just a few years as a staple of the Parisian underground scene. Drawing from post-hardcore, noise-rock and screamo, its five members unleash a unique intensity, both musical and emotional, driven by raw, sharp-edged lyrics.
Standing in opposition to the macho clichés still too often present in today’s metal/hardcore scene, LUGOSi relentlessly champions an inclusive and uncompromising future, wearing their vulnerability as a banner in a world that is losing its footing.
After forming in early 2016, they worked their way through Parisian underground venues, building a solid reputation within the capital. Fierce, sensitive and uncompromising, their style quickly stood out through their unique blend of punk, noise-rock, mathcore and post-hardcore.
LUGOSi has always defined itself by pushing back against the clichés of extreme music. Incensed by the casual sexism within their scene and its ties to the far right, the band makes a point of never sharing a bill with problematic artists, and works to maintain a safe space for everyone in front of the stage. Over the years, they have built a militant and queer identity, tirelessly encouraging their audience to take care of their mental health in order to face an increasingly suffocating world. Their widely praised live performances have opened the doors to larger stages across Île-de-France, alongside bands such as Sick of It All, The Armed, Frontierer. Svalbard, Pogo Car Crash Control and MSS FRNCE. They have also toured elsewhere in France and in the United Kingdom, before returning to the studio to write their second album, “The Scars“, due out on September 18, 2026.
“The Scars” is a visceral album, addressing both political and personal themes. It explores memory, trauma, and powerlessness, but also the surges of solidarity and hope that help us endure an increasingly violent world. Their punk, post-hardcore, noise-rock and screamo influences blend effortlessly throughout, forming a dense and cathartic whole where melodies coexist with dissonance and outbursts of rage.
For LUGOSi, emotion comes first: “whether it’s hope, revolt or trauma, the emotions that run through this album are all upheavals that can no longer be contained. They break the surface, escape, and carry us away with them,” explains Adrian, the band’s guitarist.
Mental health also plays a significant role in the band’s work. At every show, lead vocalist Pieriv urges his audience to put their struggles into words and to look out for one another. This subject is addressed in tracks such as “Another Downer” and the more intimate “I Must Be Fine”, which shines a light on pretense.
This diverse record covers a wide breadth of topics. “Kate Whispers” explores the nuances of love and the redemptive power of music; “The Fire” expresses powerlessness in the face of a world in flames and pays tribute to several activist figures (Tracy Chapman, Bobby Sands, Victor Jara), before culminating in a haunting finale featuring a saxophone solo by Patrick Shiroishi (The Armed). Balancing rage and vulnerability, “Ghosts of Christmas Past” confronts the acceptance of mortality, followed by “…and Nothing Hurts,” a song about exhaustion and the absurd. The album closes with “Everything Ends,” where feelings of powerlessness and melancholy are displayed without restraint — brass instruments join the final stretch to underpin an anger filled with despair, before bringing the album to a quiet, intimate close.
The album benefits from excellent production, carefully crafted yet without sacrificing the raw intensity that defines the band’s DNA. Recorded and mixed with the support of Valère Brisard and Youri Benais, and mastered by Alan Douches, the band also called upon several additional musicians to broaden their sonic palette.
“In terms of the creative process, recording ‘The Scars’ was more ambitious than ‘inconsolable,’ as we enriched our songs with unexpected musical and instrumental layers. While our first album sought to capture our musical ferocity with a rawer, no-frills approach, The Scars opened the door to brass, string sections and keyboards. It’s a deliberate choice: the songs couldn’t live on the album the way we bring them to life on stage, but we gave them a dimension that belongs to the studio environment, finding new ways to reach for emotion and chills. These creative explorations are, to me, the true added value of the album we’ve made. Listeners may be moved in different ways depending on whether they hear The Scars at home or experience the songs live with us. It was hard to draw a line under the recording process — we were so well surrounded. We enjoyed every step of it and hope that comes through for our audience” – Lucas, drums
Band members:
Fabien Claes : Guitar, Piano, Vocals
Adrian Verdier : Guitar, Vocals
Arthur Bercovitz : Bass, Keyboard, Vocals
Lucas Joly : Drums, Vocals
Pieriv Ruys : Lead Vocals