In early May 2025, UK vegan straight edge band xapothecaryx unleashed their latest EP, The Machine Demands Blood. Even though I am not much of a fan of metalcore and mosh music these days (give me punk and d-beat anytime), I’ve been following xapothecaryx since day one, and I am still hyped by an XVX band whose message attacks the imperialist and authoritarian machines that fuel perpetual war and suffering.
The record arrived through a coalition of labels, including Bound By Modern Age, Betrayed by Life, Contraband, and xConvictionx Records. Its fierce metallic riffs and crushing breakdowns were sharpened by Earth Crisis guitarist Scott Crouse, who handled mixing and mastering in his studio, and the six tracks feature guest appearances from members of A Mourning Star, Not Without Punishment, Iron Deficiency, and xStreet Justicex. This is vegan straight edge at its heaviest. Here, vocalist Jordan Miller answers all my questions. Band photos by Maisie, live photos by Tim Birkbeck.
The Machine Demands Blood opens with the line “At war with you” and the title track closes with “Death to the West and those who oppress”. Who is “you” in that declaration, and what events sharpened that sense of open conflict?
“At war with you” is a voice from the perspective of those who are dragged into conflicts that are essential to their survival, people forced to fight back against the oppressor. The “you” is the oppressor. For too long, the West has inserted itself and created conflicts that did not concern it.
The title itself is taken from the will of Aaron Bushnell, the US Air Force serviceman who self-immolated in protest of the West’s complicity in the genocide of the Palestinian people: “But the machine demands blood. None of this is fair.” It’s no secret that the current genocide being carried out against the Palestinian people, especially those in Gaza, inspired this track; for too long this ethnic cleansing has continued unchecked and unchallenged by the West.
The Machine Demands Blood is also a two-fold statement in that it refers to the animal-agriculture machine, a system that systematically churns out slaughtered beings in the name of sustenance. Such a practice is archaic when modern, cruelty-free forms of sustenance exist, and it is damaging, brutal, and polluting to nature’s way of life.
You released “Xenograft” as the EP’s first single, and it’s an uncompromising animal rights track that taps into the UK punk’s anti-vivisection tradition dating back to the early ’80s. Yet most feedback focused on the track’s sheer heaviness. Meanwhile, XweaponX dropped a militant second demo that drew praise from many non-straightedge music writers. Do you feel that this style of hardcore has become so easily accessible and a form of entertainment that its message now risks being completely drowned out by the riffs and breakdowns?
Thank you for making that connection. The feedback so far on “Xenograft” has been overwhelmingly positive, and that’s great to hear. Although it’s true that most of the comments focus on the heaviness, people are still going to grab the mic and shout the vegan-charged lyrics back. I do think listeners miss the message on straight edge (or vegan straight edge) releases most of the time, but that isn’t unique to hardcore.
People fuck with Rage Against the Machine yet miss the point of their message. Ignorance is bliss, I guess. The riffs and breakdowns should always sit in the background; the lyrics ought to take centre stage. It just depends on what you want out of music. I want meaning and a message, something that aligns with my beliefs and political understanding, but I appreciate that’s not for everyone. It’s great that hardcore is reaching more people through the internet, but you’re also going to attract the wrong people, and the message can easily go over their heads.
On “Empyrean” you take aim at the church and crown, weaving in archaic terms like baldachin and principalities, much as the band name “apothecary” revives an old-world language. Why is metalcore so drawn to antique vocabulary and Christian iconography in its lyrics and artwork?
Thank you for understanding what the track is about, fuck the 1%. I’m always worried people aren’t going to understand what I’m shouting about. Honestly, I got the name apothecary from Warhammer 40K because I always wanted our music to carry the message that you can find healing through vegan straight edge.
Personally, I love the English language and the words and phrases that came before my time. I didn’t want to write generic, sloppy lyrics about themes I feel are important; using historic or uncommon words highlights the messages I’m trying to convey, otherwise, what’s the point? I’m also drawn to Christian iconography; the idea of religion fascinates me, even though I’m an atheist. I can’t speak for metalcore as a whole, but for me these are simply things I enjoy, and they’ve become conventions of the genre we’re in. Best to stick with what we know.
Both “Putridity” and “Laid Riven” slip into what feels like an alchemist’s lexicon, talking of rot and soil giving way to “purification by fire” and “vitrification.” Are you deliberately invoking alchemical imagery to cast XVX liberation as a kind of bodily or societal transmutation?
I’m happy you picked up on that. With a band name like apothecary, it’s hard not to lean into alchemical imagery. It’s become a defining feature of what audiences associate with us, especially our German friends, given the “Apotheke” connection.
I do think XVX liberation is absolutely both a bodily and a societal transmutation. For the body, it means rejecting intoxicating and animal-derived substances; for society, it means radically reshaping how people in the UK socialise and pushing back against the largest food industries. These changes are all for the better, and what better way to express that transformation than through alchemical imagery?
Is straight edge for you a movement or more of a self-discipline? Is it something that could exist outside the context of veganism and politics for a band like xapothecaryx?
For me, it’s both: you need the self-discipline to commit to claiming edge, and you need to be politically switched on to understand why you have claimed edge and what it means. Too many people conflate being sober with being straight edge; they are different entities and deserve to be treated as such.
The political side of hardcore is what drew me in to begin with, and I think that message gets lost on some people. For a band like us, straight edge cannot exist outside the context of veganism and politics, it’s what binds us together in this movement and reflects our mutual respect for all living things.
As we speak, thousands across the UK are protesting for trans rights after the Supreme Court’s decision to define “woman” strictly by biological sex. How do you view that ruling, and what does it say to you about the current direction of British politics?
Trans rights are human rights, fuck that ruling. It’s incredible to watch a “left-wing” party get elected only to roll back the few left-leaning policies we’ve seen in recent years. It’s embarrassing and horrifying. Here’s to the revolution.
Your band name reminds me of a great project like Solidarity Apothecary, which is also based in England. Have you met Nicole and do you know if she likes your band?
I haven’t met Nicole, but she follows the band page on Instagram and we follow her back. I guess that is an admission of liking our band.
If I’m not mistaken, your 2022 EPs were recorded as a three-piece, with Jordan, Amy, and Dan, but you later expanded to a five-piece. How did the two new members come aboard, and did adding their perspectives alter your vision?
Yeah, that’s correct. Rafe and Shaun have really expanded and cemented our live sound. We’d played in bands with them before (Ill-Informed and xUntold Sufferingx), so it just felt right that they came along for the ride. We’re all really good mates, and having those close bonds makes doing the band enjoyable.
It’s hard graft at the end of the day, it’s like working another full-time job with the amount of time we dedicate to it, but it’s all about passion for us. Having their perspectives has definitely benefited the band; their input is always welcome, and it’s good to have multiple brains working on the same art. I’d always wanted this band to be a five-piece, I think something is lost in the live sound with just one guitar. Maybe we need three guitars now, who knows?
The UK straight edge and metalcore scene feels strong right now. How do you see it from the inside, and which bands do you think deserve more attention?
From the inside, it’s great! We’re seeing loads of new kids at shows, and they all want to X-up and get involved. UK metalcore is having a resurgence, which is perfect because it’s my favourite subgenre, but it does come with some bullshit discourse online. Best to ignore that and live your life, it’s all opinion at the end of the day.
I want to shout out a few bands (not all strictly metalcore, but all deserving attention): Fractured, Not Without Punishment, Supernova, Misgendered, and Pieces of Eden, all great bands and great people.
In the ’90s Fukuyama proclaimed the “end of history,” and even a decade ago liberal democracy still bragged about open borders and the seamless exchange of stuff and information. Yet, as we speak, I have a package from the UK stuck in customs. How have the new barriers hit your ability to tour outside Britain, and how hard is it for UK labels to get vinyl and merch into the EU and the US?
Brexit was, and still is, the dumbest thing this country has ever voted for, a sham campaign built on lies and xenophobia. The full damage is still unclear, and there’s more to come. It was the first time I was old enough to vote, too. It’s such a regression; the negatives are overwhelming, even if we’re now seeing tentative moves toward closer European ties, mainly because of the current US administration.
We’ve only toured outside Britain post-Brexit, so it’s hard to say how much easier it used to be, but queueing in the “Non-EU” passport line definitely sucks. Some UK labels have stopped shipping to the EU entirely because of all the bullshit red tape, which is grim. Hardcore should always be a global connection. Shipping to the US hasn’t changed much yet, but impending tariffs could mess that up, too. It feels like the world is trying to destroy itself out of spite.
Thanks for the interview, tell us about your upcoming tour and plans with the band.
We’re super excited to hit the mainland again in support of the new EP. We’ll be bringing Wrecked Culture and Longdrop along, and we’re jumping on select dates with Time Heist. We’ll see where this release takes us, but we’ve already booked a lot for the rest of 2025 and have other things in the pipeline. I can see a full-length on the horizon, and I still have plenty more to shout about. Here’s to the vegan straight edge and to looking out for one another while stamping out the oppressor.
Follow the band’s tour schedule and news on Instagram, new music on Bandcamp, and merch in their band store. Free Ola, free Palestine.
