Legendary SoCal artists (HED) P.E. just released their twelfth studio album, Class of 2020, via Suburban Noize Records on August 21. The date also marked the 20th anniversary of the group’s breakthrough album, Broke. To celebrate the launch of the new record, (HED) P.E. has released “First Blood,” directed by Devin Pacheco. The video features footage from ground zero of the uprisings that recently sparked a major global revolution.
“Well when I first saw the footage, it honestly scared me,” commented frontman Jared Gomes. “I am not activated at this point in my life. I’m just living in Idaho, in my own world, enjoying my family. But when I found out the director shot all the footage himself, I was captivated. It took on a more personal tone. Now I look at this as a piece of history. Neither the director nor myself wanted the video to be divisive. He set the stage. He documented what was going on around him and the viewer can make his own judgments. I’m honored and stoked to be immortalized in this way.”
On Class of 2020, (HED) P.E. gets back to the raw essentials, utilizing old-school punk-rock guitar tones and aggressive, unfiltered vocal stylings at the core of their trademark sound. Longtime fans will find that Class of 2020 is a return to the classic sound of early (HED) P.E. albums.
In an effort to bring Class of 2020 full circle and connect it with (HED) P.E.’s impressive back catalog, the album cover is an homage to the group’s breakthrough album, Broke, which celebrated its 20th anniversary a day after the new studio album was released. While planning the milestone anniversary for (HED) P.E., Jared was able to connect with former members DJ Product and original guitarist Chad “Chizad” Benekos to rekindle their creative flame. DJ Product created artwork for the Class of 2020 album and added his trademark scratching over some tracks, while original (HED) P.E. guitarist Chizad blessed the band with a blazing solo on “Greedy Girl.” The unholy union that many fans never thought possible came together to connect the past and present incarnations of (HED) P.E. and to enhance Class of 2020 in a meaningful way.
(HED) P.E. are the pioneers of the G-Punk sound, which fuses together punk-rock, metal, hip-hop and reggae. The band has toured the world for 20 years sharing the stage with the likes of Suicidal Tendencies, System of a Down, KORN, Tech N9ne, Tool as well as the original Black Sabbath on the iconic Ozzfest tour. (HED) P.E. experienced a creative resurgence after signing with Suburban Noize Records in the early 2000s and was instrumental in developing the booming underground scene.
