Mit über drei Jahrzehnten auf dem Buckel kehren die Hardcore-Punk-Legenden DFL (Dead Fucking Last) mit neuer Wucht zurück. Gegründet 1993 von Monty Messex und Adam Horovitz (Beastie Boys), steht die Band bis heute für rohen, kompromisslosen Punk, der seinen Ursprung in der frühen 80er-Szene von Los Angeles und der Skate-Kultur nicht leugnet. 2025 melden sich DFL mit ihrer neuen Single „NO U DON’T“ über das europäische Punk-Label SBÄM Records zurück – ein Song, der die ursprüngliche Wut, Energie und den ungeschliffenen Humor der Band wieder voll entfesselt. Wir haben mit Gitarrist und Sänger Monty Messex über die Rückkehr zu ihren Hardcore-Wurzeln, die Zusammenarbeit mit SBÄM und den Spirit gesprochen, der DFL auch nach all den Jahren antreibt.
Frontstage Magazine: “NO U DON’T” feels like a return to DFL’s raw, old-school sound. How intentional was it to reconnect with your early 90s hardcore roots, and what inspired the aggression behind this new track?
Monty Messex: Tom and I grew up in the early 80s Southern California punk/harccore scene. I think all DFLsongs connect with our hardcore roots in one way or another. The songs are an outlet for frustration and rage, but they’re also about positive themes, like being grateful and meter maids.
Frontstage Magazine: DFL’s story is deeply intertwined with punk icons like the Beastie Boys and the early SoCal skate scene. Looking back, how do you see those early connections shaping the identity of the band today?
Monty Messex: I mean skateboarding and the Beasties had a huge impact on the band.
Frontstage Magazine: You’re releasing through SBÄM Records, a label known for its European punk network. How did that collaboration come about, and what’s it like working with a label so connected to the EU punk scene?
Monty Messex: We were looking for a label to release “YRUDFL” and Felix with the Flix Agency introduced us to Stefan with SBÄM. Working with SBÄM has been great! They did a killer job with “YRUDFL” and we’re stoked to work with them on our next release. Plus they have an amazing fest that we’ve played a couple times! And although SBÄM is a European-based label, they’re really connected to the American punk scene, especially 90s punk, and they really get us.
Frontstage Magazine: Hardcore punk has evolved a lot since the 90s. Some say it’s more polished, others think it’s lost its bite. What’s your take on the state of hardcore punk in 2025, and where does DFL fit in that landscape?
Monty Messex: These days it seems like hardcore encompasses a lot of genres. Bands that are almost metal are called hardcore, and bands that are kinda punk pop are called hardcore, everything in between. So the term is thrown around a lot these days, but for DFL we still stick to OG early-80s hardcore. Although we started in the 90s, our sound is really influenced by the early 80s hardcore scene. Bands we grew up on like Minor Threat, Black Flag, Bad Religion and the Beastie Boys influenced our sound. That said, I’m not really sure where DFL fits in the 2025 hardcore scene.
Frontstage Magazine: Your early records were raw and fast, recorded in a flash, almost like snapshots of chaos. How has your recording process changed now, especially working with Fletcher Dragge (Pennywise) on the new material?
Monty Messex: We tried to maintain that mindset with the new record; not over-think things and keeping the recording process fast-paced and raw. These days with digital recording you can do a million takes and tweak things endlessly, we’d do a take or two and then move on. A “snapshot of chaos!” I like that. Fletch is a legend in the punk scene and it was an honor to work with him. He’s also a friend and someone I’ve known for over 30 years from back when we were on Epitaph. He’s also a great song writer and has a really good ear. He mixed the new record, and he played guitar and sang on it, too. He also wrote some lyrics for “FUCK IT” (which was pretty fucking dope) and he helped with the song arrangements.
Frontstage Magazine: DFL has always balanced intensity with humor from songs about Hollywood absurdity to pizza. Is that balance between fury and fun still part of what keeps DFL authentic?
Monty Messex: We try not to take things too seriously. We have songs about pizza and meter maids, but we also have songs about self-pity and gratitude.
Frontstage Magazine: After more than three decades, what drives you to keep creating? Is it nostalgia, unfinished business, or simply that same spark that started in Echo Park back in ’93?
Monty Messex: It’s all of that and MORE!
Fotocredit: Honza
