Album Review: Madball – Not Your Kingdom (Nuclear Blast Records)

Iconic New York hardcore band, Madball return with their brand-new album, ‘Not Your Kingdom’, out on July 24th, 2026.

There’s a lot of things to like about this album, but perhaps the most impressive thing is the fact that Madball sound so alive. Few bands this far into their career, about to release their tenth album, sound this intense, this focused, and this angry. Which, to some, might seem cursory for hardcore, but you must remember that we’re not exactly short of hardcore bands these days, so to stand out takes some serious talent.

There’s just something about Madball, and their creative processes, that makes their music timeless. Something that makes an album like this feel modern and fresh while not betraying their classic NY-hardcore roots.

I didn’t grow up listening to Madball. I didn’t grow up listening to hardcore, and while I would call myself more of a fan of the modern style, I have a healthy appreciation for where hardcore came from. I particularly love that an album like this has the potential to knock your teeth out and bloody your nose, while also giving you the biggest and friendliest hug. We’re all just one big happy hardcore family, right!?

Don’t get me wrong though, Madball have plenty of fire in their bellies, tons of vitriol to spit out, and plenty of ways to encourage the listener to ‘let loose’ a little. Hell, the album begins with one of the more aggressive efforts in Tethered and one of the more two step inducing efforts in Flammable. I love both, though I don’t know if I really get the point of Rebelude, especially being positioned so early on.

There are a couple of tracks that pass the three-minute runtime and one of the more ‘fun’ ones is Rebel Kids. A groovier effort that has a singalong chorus. Whereas later, there is the punkier What Say You, a track with some venomous vocals, and Family First, a straight-forward blast of hardcore heaviness.

Those are bangers and I have no complaints, but the short and sharp efforts that leave your head spinning and your ears ringing are where it is at, personally. I love a track as intense as Don’t MisStep, a track as ferocious as Stab Wounds, a track that you can move to, ala Life’s A Mural, and a track that has stompy intentions via different tempos like Clockwork.

It’s a very satisfying listen, with tons of replay value because it lacks complexity. Madball know how to keep hold of the attention simply by doing what they do and doing it well. Case in point, The Ride and Chase a Dream, two final tracks that thrill without really doing anything that out of the ordinary. Two more kickass hardcore anthems, on an album filled with them.

Madball – Not Your Kingdom Track Listing:

1. Tethered
2. Flammable
3. Rebelude
4. Rebel Kids
5. Don’t MisStep
6. What Say You
7. Stab Wounds
8. Sunrise
9. Life’s a Mural
10. Family First
11. Clockwork
12. IWI
13. The Ride
14. Chase a Dream

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