From the moment they detonated out of Chicago in the mid-1990s, Racetraitor has existed to push boundaries—fusing extreme metal and hardcore into a blunt-force weapon aimed squarely at power. Their uncompromising politics confront white supremacy, militarism, capitalism, and global systems of domination head-on, positioning the band as a necessary and unflinching voice as the U.S. and much of the world slide deeper into authoritarianism and fascist resurgence.

The band originally disbanded in 1999 after releasing their now–cult classic LP Burn the Idol of the White Messiah, a record that blurred the lines between hardcore, death metal, grindcore, and djent in ways few had attempted before. When Racetraitor reformed in 2016, their comeback full-length, 2042, was named one of the top 100 albums of 2018 by Vice Magazine. Their most recent and most ambitious full-length, 2024’s Creation and the Timeless Order of Things, functions as a geographic autobiography, mapping the band’s personal histories, familial backgrounds, and lived experiences onto global political and social struggles.

Since reforming, Racetraitor has toured whenever they can, sharing stages with kindred forces like Refused, Xibalba, and Sect. Their live shows remain explosive—part sonic demolition, part political rally—cementing Racetraitor as an enduring example of how hardcore and metal can function as a form of resistance.