Written By Chris Norris
Some bands sound polished. Some sound violent. Cutthroat sounds like pressure building behind cracked concrete.
In this Cutthroat interview Neil Roemer digs beneath that pressure to explore the music, experiences and frustrations driving the band’s evolution.
Forged in the Los Angeles hardcore underground, the band blends metallic hardcore, crossover thrash, hip-hop groove, and street-level aggression into something that feels raw, volatile, and uncomfortably honest.
On The Purge EP, paranoia, frustration, alienation, survival instinct, and social collapse collide with crushing riffs, relentless drums, cinematic samples, and an atmosphere that feels pulled straight from midnight city streets and psychological thrillers.
Metal Lair previously took a deeper look at The Purge in our full EP review, examining the record’s collision of hardcore, thrash, groove and cinematic darkness.
Cutthroat may have years of history behind them, but there’s still something elusive about the band. Their music speaks loudly while much of the story behind it has remained beneath the surface, making a deeper conversation with frontman Neil Roemer all the more compelling.
Cutthroat still carries the energy of a band operating just outside the wider spotlight despite sharing stages with hardcore and metal legends across the world.
With The Purge pushing Cutthroat into darker and more aggressive territory, Metal Lair spoke with frontman Neil Roemer about the evolution of the band’s sound, the personal and social pressures behind the songs, cinematic influences, the impact of Cutthroat’s Brazilian connection, life onstage, and the ambition to take the band far beyond the underground.
Cutthroat Interview Neil Roemer Talks The Purge and the Band’s Evolution
ML: Cutthroat feels like a collision between hardcore grit, thrash aggression, and that heavy 90s groove-driven energy. When the band first came together, what was the identity you were chasing that felt different from everybody else around you?
Neil: Our identity wasn’t intentional, it was just what we were doing at the time. I think some of our influences, such as Downset and Biohazard, played a big factor in the way we originally sounded.
ML: The Purge feels darker, heavier, and more confrontational than a lot of modern crossover records. Did this EP naturally evolve into something more aggressive emotionally, or was that direction intentional from the beginning?
Neil: The new sound wasn’t intentional. My bandmates from Brazil sent me the tracks and I had to alter my vocals to fit the music. It ended up being what it is. It definitely made me elevate what I was doing, and I’m very happy that it did because I feel like I’ve grown.
ML: There’s a strong cinematic thread running through the EP with samples from films like Taxi Driver, Joker, and Requiem for a Dream. What draws Cutthroat toward those kinds of bleak, psychologically intense worlds?
Neil: I think when a band can add samples from movies that introduce the direction of a song, it can be very tasteful and classy. That was our intention. I really wanted to paint a picture to help relate specific topics to our listeners.
ML: Songs like “Hard Times” and “Feeling Disconnected” tap into frustration, distrust, pressure, and emotional burnout in a very direct way. Do you see The Purge more as personal release, social commentary, or a mix of both?
Neil: It’s a mix of both. The song “Sick One” is a feeling that I believe we all get from time to time when we’ve just had enough. The feeling of disconnection came after an argument that I had with my wife.
I kept that passion and aggression and turned it into a song of things that I really wanted to say.
I try to make it relatable because everybody has been in a similar situation. That song is very personal to me. “Hard Times” is another song that is very relatable.
ML: A lot of hardcore bands focus purely on speed or violence, but Cutthroat leans heavily into groove too. How important is rhythm and physical movement when you’re building these songs?
Neil: It’s very important that we establish our own identity. Even though my roots stem from hip-hop and hardcore, I think having an eclectic mix satisfies our listeners.
ML: The guitar work throughout the EP is relentless. Tracks like “Purge” and “Bullet Proof Mind” feel built to hit hard live. How much does the live environment shape the way you write riffs and structure songs?
Neil: I’ve always told myself that we are a live band. So I think naturally when we are writing, the live influence is there. When we perform live, I’m happy with the response we get.
ML: You’ve shared stages with everyone from Biohazard and Agnostic Front to Judas Priest and Body Count. What’s something you experienced from touring with veteran bands and has it changed your perspective as musicians?
Neil: I am always a student. When I have the opportunity to play with legends like that, I absorb everything that they are doing. It helps shape me as a frontman and vocalist.
ML: Hardcore crowds and thrash crowds can react very differently, but Cutthroat exists right in the collision point between both worlds. Do you approach those audiences differently live, or is the goal simply to bring chaos either way?
Neil: We play the same way for any crowd we stand in front of. We tend to always get mosh pits going regardless of the crowd. Some regions are a little harder than others. In that case, I have to go down with the microphone and start the mosh pit myself, lol.
ML: There’s a very raw, street-level intensity running through the EP that feels rooted in real-world frustration rather than fantasy. How much does living through modern social and economic pressure shape the atmosphere of these songs?
Neil: That is really our biggest influence. I always write based on current events and the things I see around me. Writing is my release.
If I don’t write, these frustrations get bottled up, and that isn’t good for me or anyone around me.
ML: With Renato and Betto bringing roots from the São Paulo metal scene into an LA-based hardcore band, how has that international influence affected the chemistry and energy of Cutthroat?
Neil: I think bringing them in elevated the band to new levels. We sound different than anyone else. That was a very intentional move. I really want Cutthroat to stand out.
ML: Cutthroat still feels like a band people are just beginning to discover despite already building a serious reputation underground. Does being slightly under-the-radar still fuel the hunger creatively?
Neil: It definitely does. A part of me doesn’t think about that stuff because I enjoy everything that we have accomplished, even on a minor level.
I would love to bring this project to the next level and become a festival band that everybody knows.
That’s definitely a goal that I feel we are getting closer to, especially with this last production.
ML: If someone had never heard Cutthroat before and you could lock them in a room with one song, one movie, and one volume setting to understand the band completely, what would you choose?
Neil: Wow, that’s a good question. I would have to go with the song Cutthroat from Sepultura. While playing Taxi Driver the movie. And the volume would be set to 12.
Metal Lair would like to thank Neil Roemer and Cutthroat for taking the time to speak with us about The Purge, the evolution of the band, and the experiences and frustrations that continue to shape their music.
Blending hardcore grit, crossover aggression, hip-hop groove and cinematic tension, Cutthroat remain driven by something Neil makes clear throughout our conversation: the desire to keep evolving without losing the rawness that built the band in the first place.
That hunger extends beyond the underground. Roemer openly talks about wanting Cutthroat to reach the next level and become a festival band known to audiences far beyond the scenes that first embraced them.
But perhaps the simplest explanation of Cutthroat comes from Neil himself.
If you want to understand the band, put on Sepultura’s “Cut-Throat,” throw Taxi Driver on the screen and turn the volume to 12.
Some bands require a complicated explanation. Cutthroat apparently just requires a stronger amplifier.
PREORDER CUTTHROAT – THE PURGE EP AT M-THEORY AUDIO HERE
Track Listing:
1.Hard Times
2.Sick One
3.Feeling Disconnected
4.Purge
5.Bullet Proof Mind
Lineup:
Neil Roemer – vocals
Betto Cardoso – drums
Renato Romano – guitar
Bruno Nicolozzi – bass
CUTTHROAT ONLINE
About the Author
Chris Norris is the voice behind Metal Lair’s global metal coverage, World Metal Weekly. From funeral doom in the north to thrash born in the streets. Known for spotlighting bands before algorithms notice them and for writing with the precision of a scalpel… or a well-sharpened guitar pick. Vinyl collector. Night-shift journalist. Believes heavy music has no borders.
Read More From This Author:
Green Carnation Part III: The Messiah Complex Interview
Interview With The Ghoulstars: Horror Punk, VHS Culture & The Dark Overlords of the Universe
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