I will never forget being 13-years-old and holding a copy of the Flex Your Head comp in my hand on the lawn of my junior high in Santa Monica. That is one record that changed my life and the way I heard and experienced music. I also did not know that Washington D.C. would become home to some of the most important bands in the underground for the next 40 years. One of those bands is Kerosene 454, who created emotive Post-Hardcore that would never sound dated. Their album Came By To Kill Me was out in 1996 via Slowdime/Dischord. Fast forward to 2025, and the always-on-point Solid Brass Records is re-releasing this underground gem.
Immersing yourself in Kerosene 454’s music is like being front row at a John Coltrane, Sun Ra, and Fugazi collaborative show with John Basquiat as the band conductor. I love the way that within one of their songs, 5 different songs are speaking creatively on 5 different parallel universes! When I hear songs like “T Minus 100,” my inner trauma feels like it’s experiencing sonic healing while my brain cells are doing the herky-jerk! Their songs never sound contrived and are satisfying like solving a Rubics Cube as a teenager because they are that complex. Also, what strikes me about Kerosene 454 music is their attention to detail when it comes to their songwriting because their passion for their art is so evident that it can’t be missed! If I could go back in time, I would have loved to see them live because their shows look electric. I want the whole band to know that we are huge fans over here at CVLT Nation. With every listen of Came By To Kill Me, I find another piece of my emotional puzzle and because of that, this album is priceless! Hey Jason of Solid Brass Records — if you read this, just know what you are doing by releasing music that matters is changing the world, one amazing record at a time.


Take in 98’ at the Brewery in Los Angeles by James Leland

