Cro-Mags Drop ‘Wired for Chaos,’ First New Song in Six Years: Listen

NYC hardcore pioneers Cro-Mags are back with their first new song in six years, “Wired for Chaos,” which premieres today exclusively on Rolling Stone. 

The thundering track — which shares a name with a recent documentary about the wild life of frontman Harley Flanagan — contains everything Cro-Mags have always done best. As Flanagan himself put it in a statement, “It comes in with an aggressive metal intro befitting a UFC walk-in or a video game, then bursts into a more traditional HC thrash vibe before returning to a heavy beatdown at the end in an unmistakable Cro-Mags style.”

As for the lyrics, the song finds Flanagan contending with the ramifications of his chaotic (there’s really no other word to describe it) life. A musical prodigy, Flanagan started playing in his first band when he was 11 and came of age in various punk circles, and much of his life has been marred by addiction and violence.

“The song is literally about being programmed and wired for chaos from birth,” Flanagan said, “not just by environment, but by parents, trauma, childhood experiences, and the resulting PTSD that I personally struggle with as a result.”

“Wired for Chaos” also comes with a music video directed by Rex Miller. The clip contains performance and behind-the-scene footage from some of Cro-Mags’ recent tours, with Flanagan calling it reminiscent of the group’s first video for “We Gotta Know,” released in 1986. 

“I am proud to say that we are one of those few bands that bridge the gap between hardcore kids, metalheads, punks, skinheads, and more, as seen in the audience of this video, which was filmed at our shows on the past few tours,” Flanagan said. “Not many bands have such a blended fan base besides Motörhead, and I am proud to say that we are following in that tradition.”

“Wired for Chaos” marks the first new music from Cro-Mags since they released their sixth studio album, In the Beginning, in 2020. The new track is also the band’s first for the metal label, BLKIIBLK. It’s slated to appear on an upcoming Cro-Mags album expected to arrive next year. 

Cro-Mags will spend much of the summer on the road, with an extensive European tour kicking off in June and running through August. They have two U.S. festival dates slated for the fall, including a set at Party Weekend in Daytona Beach, Florida on Sept. 26, and another at Aftershock in Sacramento on Oct. 4.