Richmond, VA's abrasive sludge and roll duo, THUNDERCHIEF, continue their aural assault into 2026 with new punishing music and exciting news to follow, including wrapping up 2025 by supporting Midwestern volume heshers, TELEKINETIC YETI.
Described as "...an incessant nightmare, like Sleep on ketamine", THUNDERCHIEF has been a prominent force in the Richmond VA music scene since 2006 and continues to tour and perform regularly.
THUNDERCHIEF has transformed into one of the hairiest songwriting teams in the metal and punk genres, featuring Rik Surly and Erik Larson. Time and time again, the band has shown that they are less concerned with maintaining genre-specific status and more focused on unleashing the beast from within.
Riff-laden, ear-catching, drum-forward punishment is the goal. That's it.
No compromise, no let up.
Fun Facts about THUNDERCHIEF:
>>Guitarist Rik Surly is a pioneering farmer who, in 2010, was the first to grow & process small-batch craft hot sauces to be sold on the touring circuit.
>>Drummer Erik Larson has played in every state in the USA, except North Dakota.
Press Releases
THUNDERCHIEF Announces New Album and Tour
FOR RELEASE:
WEDNESDAY JUNE 17, 2026
THUNDERCHIEF Announces New Album and Tour for
*With Hatchet, Pike or Morning Star…” (ASR Records)
Virginia-based heavy metal/punk outfit THUNDERCHIEF will release its new full-length album, *With Hatchet, Pike or Morning Star...*, through ASR Records on physical and digital form on July 1, 2026, and embar
FOR RELEASE:
WEDNESDAY JUNE 17, 2026
THUNDERCHIEF Announces New Album and Tour for
*With Hatchet, Pike or Morning Star…” (ASR Records)
Virginia-based heavy metal/punk outfit THUNDERCHIEF will release its new full-length album, *With Hatchet, Pike or Morning Star...*, through ASR Records on physical and digital form on July 1, 2026, and embarking on a 4-week tour beginning July 6 to support the release.
Continuing the band's blend of aggressive metal, raw punk, and hard rock influences, *With Hatchet, Pike or Morning Star...* presents THUNDERCHIEF's most focused and direct material to date. Across the album's runtime, the band delivers a collection of hard-hitting tracks built on heavy riffs, frantic rhythms, and unsettling lyrical content--touching on current socials issues including politics, humanity and the dreaded concert-ticket & music-streaming capitalization.
The band states, "We are really excited about this album, it hits on everything we like about making music. We pushed ourselves in a few new directions on this one to include some new elements that weren't present on prior albums, and we're stoked on how the fans have responded to hearing these songs live”."
Formed in Richmond, Virginia, THUNDERCHIEF has developed a sound rooted in abrasive metal/hardcore punk, drawing weight & urgency equally from the respective genres. The new album builds on that foundation, offering a set of songs that emphasize momentum, intensity, and dare we say, “groove”, without relying on studio excess or modern trends to create atmosphere. The band also threw in a cover of the 1973 Zior cult-laden classic, “Entrance of the Devil”.
*With Hatchet, Pike or Morning Star...* will be released by ASR Records on July 1, 2026, with a 4-week tour to follow beginning on Monday, July 6, and a southwestern tour slated for October.
For more updates and information, visit THUNDERCHIEF online at www.thethunderchief.com
THUNDERCHIEF
*With Hatchet, Pike or Morning Star...*
ASR Records
July 1, 2026 (CD/Digital)
Track Listing
- Malaise
- Chintzy
- Catch My Fall
- Entrance of the Devil (Zior)
- Lie Nation
- Slurpee