Biography
ONSETTER is an American sludge metal/hardcore band from Boise, Idaho. Formed by musicians associated with bands including Blackcloud, Throes and Ranges, the five-piece consists of Thomas Wilson on vocals, Tyler Squire on guitars and vocals, A.J. Duthie on guitar, Marco Gonzalez on bass and Sam Raymond on drums.
ONSETTER's sound occupies a volatile space between sludge metal, hardcore, noise and post-hardcore, combining crushing guitar work and punishing rhythms with dissonance, industrial textures and dramatic soft-loud dynamics. Their music is aggressive and abrasive but also atmospheric, allowing moments of tension and spectral ambience to emerge from the band's dense and confrontational sound.
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The band's self-titled debut EP arrived in 2024, establishing their bleak and furious approach through five tracks of heavy, tightly controlled chaos. Their second EP, Malice, followed in April 2025, expanding the band's attack while confronting frustration, despair and the darker aspects of contemporary life. The record was released through Mishap Records and The Ghost Is Clear Records.
ONSETTER continued that progression with Smother / Obituary, a two-track release issued in October 2025. The record introduced further industrial elements, atmospheric passages and dynamic shifts while retaining the band's characteristic hardcore aggression and sludgy weight. Mixed by Andy Nelson and mastered by Chris Common, it marked a more technically developed and sonically refined version of the band's already punishing sound.
With their combination of crushing sludge, hardcore urgency, noise-driven textures and emotional unrest, ONSETTER create music that feels claustrophobic, furious and deeply physical — a soundtrack for frustration and discontent delivered with very little interest in pulling its punches.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.