Introducing: Led To Ruin

Louisiana collective Led To Ruin have crafted an intense and engaging fusion of metal, 90s grunge, death metal and hard rock in a sound they describe as “honest, heavy and purposeful.”

The Shreveport band formed during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2022 as a group of friends looking to rediscover their passion for music. And they’ve gone on to hone a style that, in their words, is “aggressive, thought-provoking and tackles controversial themes with sincerity.”

Our latest taste of this is Undertow, which was released at the end of last month. It opens up with delicious heavy stabbing guitars that continue under a laid-back lick. Chugging guitars and menacing drums kick in as moody vocals take over and the atmosphere builds with engaging vocals leading an intriguing chorus. Second time around, it drops into wild repeats of “I rage on” with intense drums, guitars and a piercing synth sound, which give way to a high-pitched guitar lick. Everything suddenly drops out bar a lone guitar line and laid-back vocals, before kicking into a final blast of the chorus.

On the track, the band told us: “So far, the reception of Undertow has been overwhelmingly positive. Undertow is a haunting, emotionally charged track that explores themes of struggle, isolation, and perseverance against overwhelming forces. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of being pulled into the depths, both physically and metaphorically, with water serving as a powerful symbol of resistance and internal conflict.

“The imagery of drowning, sinking, and straining against an unstoppable tide evokes a sense of desperation, yet the repeated refrain – ‘I rage on’ – suggests an unbreakable will to fight back. The contrast between cold, suffocating waters and distant light above reinforces the tension between despair and hope.”

That’s the band’s sixth single, building on a promising body of work to date, including the especially intense Wither and Fahrehnheit. But we love the sound of last year’s release Parasite, which opens up with a darting riff over drawn-out guitars before launching into fast-paced vocals. It flows into intense vocals “Defy – never a cog in the misery machine, Defy – don’t let them drown who you are in gasoline, So fake, apathetic to the pain, No care who they cast aside, So fake, apathetic to the pain, No wake for the dead inside” that sets up the more singalong chorus “Now is the time to believe in yourself, When their craven hands reach out to take away your crown, Never believe they define who you are, Let the anger take control and tear the towers down.” The chorus ends with a cool riff and little solo, before another verse and chorus drop into an eerie stabbing synth sound and echoey cries of “down” before another guitar solo. Check it out in the lyric video below:

The Led To Ruin sound has been influenced by the likes of Metallica, Alice in Chains, Machine Head, Sevendust and Breaking Benjamin. And on what inspires them to write music, they told us: “Our topics tend to be about events that cause us to speak out. Things that we just can’t ignore.”

We’re loving what we’ve heard from this band, and there’s something strangely familiar about their 90s/2000s rock and grunge vibes – considering, in reality, we know very little about them. There’s plenty more to come from Led To Ruin, who plan to release two to three more singles before the end of the year. And they added: “LTR is a 100% independent project. We do it all. Writing, recording, production, mixing, mastering, social media etc…”

You can follow Led To Ruin on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.