Introducing: Mess Out

French band Mess Out have crafted a bold and uncompromising sound that fuses the catchiness of punk rock with the raw power of old-school punk and the relentless aggression of metal, which they summarise as “intense, unapologetic and explosive.”

The Lyon quartet formed in 2018 and have aimed to push the boundaries of punk rock ever since. They’re on a mission to create a sound and live energy that, in their words, “shakes people up, something loud, wild, and impossible to ignore.”

And on the sound they’ve created, the band told us: “Mess Out is pure adrenaline. It’s sweat, passion, and wild energy. The kind of sound that makes you want to scream along, jump into the pit, and let everything out. On stage, we promise an unforgettable punk rock experience that’s powerful enough to shake your chest and leave your ears ringing.”

Our latest taste of this is Awake, which was released last month. It opens up with affronting fast-paced lyrics that are answered by chunky guitar chords, before mellowing slightly as it flows into a pre-chorus and catchy chorus “Now that we’re awake, We can’t deny it, Now day after day, We need to shout it, I just can’t stand this shit, Disgusted and so helpless, Now that we’re awake, It’s time to raise ourselves,” which features a cheeky few cowbell hits.

The cool lone vocals continue in a feisty second verse that opens up “For the pathetic little guy assaulting girls in the street, For the pigs looking at them like they are pieces of meat, Do us a favour and go fuck yourselves, cause you’re the disease, Just get back home, fap a bit, then go out again please.” A second pre-chorus sees the pace suddenly drop into a chunky bassline and light guitars, before increasingly intense vocals end with a “bleugh” scream that gives way to a chunk riff. Heavy guitars and intense screams take over to tee up a final blast of the chorus.

On the track, the band told us: “The reception has been really positive: in just two weeks, the music video has reached over 3.6k views on YouTube, and people have been especially touched by the live energy we captured at Winterock Festival, where it was filmed. Awake is an incisive punk track that tackles violence against women, told through the eyes of a man who refuses to look away. It’s raw, disturbing, and straight to the point, carried by raging intensity, a powerful chorus, and a crushing final breakdown. Listeners should expect a song that hits hard both musically and lyrically.”

Awake follows on from last year’s single The World We’re Dreaming Of and second EP Kick Me To Death, which is packed with more lively punk-meets-metal goodness, including the catchy Raining Again and the final track Mother, which features a cool bouncy riff.

The Mess Out sound draws on bands that fuse punk urgency, hardcore aggression and melodic hooks, including the likes of Fever 333, Deez Nuts, Alea Jacta Est, Lion’s Law, Yungblud, Sum 41, and Landmvrks.

And on what inspires them to write music, the band explains: “Our songs are driven by the world we live in and the things we can’t stay silent about. We write about social and political issues: ecological struggles, police brutality, authoritarian violence, the defence of our rights, the collapse of public healthcare, the alienation of screens and social media. But also about deeply personal themes: loss, grief, separation, cancer, the fight to keep going. Our lyrics carry progressive values, and we believe music should be a weapon to challenge, inspire, and connect people.”

There’s plenty more to come from Mess Out, who’ll be releasing a new single every month until March in the build-up to their debut full-length album. They’ve also got shows lined up around Lyon as they look to bring their raw energy to as many stages as possible.

And the band added: “Mess Out isn’t just about music, it’s about connection, rebellion, and energy. If you come to a show, expect to sweat, scream, and feel alive.”

You can follow Mess Out on Facebook and Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music, Deezer and YouTube.