A new force is emerging in the Arizona metalcore and hardcore scene as UGLY PEOPLE release their debut single, “Crisis.” The band features bassist Steven Mandell, formerly of American Standards, the Phoenix chaotic hardcore group whose final album Future Orphans closed a defining chapter in Arizona heavy music earlier this year.
Following the end of American Standards, Mandell reconnected with musicians from across the Phoenix heavy music and Arizona DIY circuits. Those collaborations quickly took shape as UGLY PEOPLE—a project built from years of shared stages, overlapping influences, and a collective drive to push Southwest heavy music into its next era.
A Hard-Hitting Debut Rooted in Arizona Hardcore
UGLY PEOPLE’s first single, “Crisis,” hits fast and sharply: tight, shifting rhythms; jagged guitars; and vocals that strain with raw urgency. While the track nods to the chaotic hardcore energy associated with American Standards, UGLY PEOPLE push further into metallic, breakdown-driven heaviness and a more modern, abrasive edge.
“The Arizona heavy scene is where we all crossed paths,” the band shares. “‘Crisis’ is the moment everything finally locked in.”
For fans of Phoenix metalcore, chaotic hardcore, Arizona punk, and the desert-forged aggression found in bands like American Standards, Gatecreeper, and The Bled, UGLY PEOPLE arrive as a compelling new presence in the region.
“Crisis” Out Now
Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1TXjVFlBsCwIHn9htfjmca?si=GUxK25tBQEqbyzWHxx02DA
Release Information
Artist: UGLY PEOPLE
Single: Crisis
Genre: Metalcore / Hardcore / Chaotic Hardcore
Origin: Phoenix, Arizona
Featuring: Steven Mandell (formerly of American Standards)
About UGLY PEOPLE
Formed in 2025, UGLY PEOPLE emerged from Phoenix’s long-standing network of metal, punk, and hardcore musicians. Blending chaotic hardcore urgency with sharpened metallic precision, the band represents the next evolution in Arizona metalcore, rising from the same community that helped shape influential heavy acts like American Standards, Gatecreeper, The Bled, and Job for a Cowboy.
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